Human factors & Ergonomics
This term describes the study of how products can be designed to fit the human body and improve comfort, safety and performance.
What is ergonomics?
Designing products to reduce negative environmental impact is known as this approach.
What is sustainable design?
A simplified representation of a product used to test or communicate ideas is called this.
What is a model?
Materials taken directly from nature before processing are called these.
What are raw materials?
A completely new product that changes the market significantly is an example of this type of innovation.
What is radical innovation?
Designers use this type of data, such as height, reach or hand size, when creating products for users.
What is anthropometric data?
Materials that can be replenished naturally in a short period of time are known as these resources.
What are renewable resources?
This type of model allows designers to test how a product works mechanically or structurally.
What is a functional model?
Changing the shape of metal by applying force is an example of this process.
What is forming?
Improving an existing product step by step describes this type of innovation.
What is incremental innovation?
Designing a chair that supports the natural curve of the spine helps reduce this physical problem caused by poor posture.
What is musculoskeletal injury?
This life cycle stage includes extracting raw materials, manufacturing, use and disposal of a product.
What is the product life cycle?
This type of modelling uses mathematical equations to predict performance.
What is mathematical modelling?
The process of heating plastic until soft and shaping it using a mould is called this.
What is thermoforming?
A factor that prevents new ideas from being successfully developed is known as this.
What is a barrier to innovation?
Products designed to accommodate the widest range of users, regardless of ability or age, follow this design principle.
What is inclusive design?
Reducing the amount of material used in packaging is an example of this sustainability strategy.
What is dematerialisation?
A CAD drawing used to visualise a product before manufacturing is an example of this type of model.
What is a virtual model?
Producing identical products in large quantities using machines is known as this production method.
What is mass production?
A factor that encourages companies to develop new products is called this.
What is a driver for innovation?
When a designer considers the user’s mental workload, stress, and ease of understanding instructions, they are considering this factor.
What are psychological factors?
Considering environmental impact from raw material extraction to disposal is known as this type of analysis.
What is life cycle analysis (LCA)?
Testing a scaled version of a bridge to predict real performance demonstrates this modelling principle.
What is predictive modelling?
This type of production allows customised products while still using industrial manufacturing systems.
What is mass customisation?
When a company applies existing technology to a new context, it is using this innovation strategy.
What is technology transfer?