Designing for Humans

High-Speed Photography and Video for Ergonomics

High-speed video and photography is getting a lot of attention these days.  This month's Wired Magazine  summarized the history of high-speed photography, from the work of Harold Edgerton to the recent use of lasers to capture images with shutter speeds of 300 x 10^-15 seconds!
(also see last year's article on The Ultimate High-Speed Photography Kit).

And just last week, Vision Research, makers of commercial-grade high-speed cameras, announced the Phantom V12 (inset photo), capable of recording one million pictures per second.

But from a practical point of view, the most intriguing news is the Casio Exilim Pro EX-F1. Due in March for an estimated $1000, this camera brings high-speed photography and video to the digital prosumer market.  Several unique features include:

• Ultra High Speed Burst Mode: Up to 60 shots at can be taken at once, so 60 shots per second for one second, or 5 shots per second for 12 seconds, are possible.
• High Speed digital movie recording of up to 1200 frames per second (fps)
• Full High Definition recording at standard speed

In addition to these impressive capabilities, the camera offers some novel user interaction feature such as a buffer to pre-record images prior to the shutter depression, allowing room for error when trying to capture a quick event; and Slow Motion View to review real-time events in slow-motion on the cameras LCD via a buffer.  And of course...stereo recording : )  All of these features are exciting from a gizmo geek's perspective - and there are plenty of reviews and videos from CES. 

But there's a tremendous opportunity to apply this technology to product design.  Specifically, I will be using the high speed burst mode and high speed digital movies to capture motion during rapid manual tasks  - such as the use of a construction tool, surgical instrument or mobile device keypad.  Extending visual perception to micro-seconds is likely to reveal interesting sub-patterns of movement and orientation that are overlooked or invisible at a standard time-scale.  Moreover, it introduces a new perspective on observing physical behavior that expands user research capabilities - at least as far as the presumably massive file storage and power needs of this unique camera will take you.

Update on LiveScribe Pulse Smartpen - 3D Sound Recording

Some bad news/good news regarding the forthcoming LiveScribe Smartpen that I had discussed in December.  The bad news is that the pen will not be available in January as had originally been communicated, but now in March - although pre-orders are supposed to happen prior to then ($199 for 2GB model).

On the good news side, LiveScribe has released more detail about the Smartpen including technical specs, features and videos.  The most newsworthy feature announced is the stereo recording capability which can be done via dual microphones built-in to the pen, or via earphone-based microphones.  In the past I have talked about the value of stereo recording in user research.  But microphones worn on the ears take this a step further, by allowing binaural recording, which is actually more veridical then conventional stereo.  In other words, recordings made with microphones positioned on the ears will sound much more realistic in terms of sound space, relative loudness, etc., compared to two stereo microphones on the recording device itself - sort of the auditory equivalent of visual 3D.  This definitely takes the pen further past the tipping point for me in terms of desirability.

History of Field Research in Industrial Design

I recently came across a great article by James Arnold of The Ohio State University
Big Ideas: A History of Field Research in Industrial Design in the United States is one of several papers from 2005's International Conference on Design Research.

Arnold succinctly traces the emergence of research methods and outputs in the ID process over fifty years.  Four "eras", roughly a decade each, are used to map out the growth and maturity of design research - from its beginnings out of human factors and marketing, to its modern visibility.

The article includes a detailed table of the key people, methods, products and methods from each of the four eras.  Arnold also notes the rise of user research methods in IDEA award winning products - although its arguable whether such products won due to design research, or just represent a standardization in the modern design process (or both).

Really interesting stuff for those in the field to understand your roots.

Updates on IDSA District Conferences

Several of the upcoming district conferences have their 2008 web sites up - content still in progress, but expect them to fill out every the next few weeks.  Online registration is open on some of these sites as of this posting.

• Southern (March-8, Savannah, Georgia)
• Midwest (April 4-6, Kansas City, Missouri)
• Northeast (April 4-6, Philadelphia, PA) - site pending
• Mideast (April 11-13, Columbus, Ohio) 
• Western (April 25-27, Portland, Oregon) - site pending

You can see a list of all the IDSA district information on the IDSA site.

Specific information regarding conference content related to human factors and design research is TBD, but please send me any info that you know of at this time. 

Plans are moving ahead for the Design Research Portfolio Review at the Northeast district conference.  While still being refined, the plan is to have a two-part program:

• A series of short-presentations on communicating design research, followed by a moderated discussion.
• A portfolio-review session open to students and professionals interested in getting feedback on their user research work.  More details, presentation guidelines and registration information forthcoming.

AnthroDesign Online Discussion Group

One of the best, but perhaps lesser known online discussion groups amongst designers is AnthroDesign, as in Anthropology & Design.  The group, which was originally made up solely of anthropologists, has grown to include a range of interests from corporate, academic, non-profit and consulting design/research worlds:

"This group consists of individuals interested in anthropology and design. We are interested in the role of applied anthropology in the corporate, public sector, and medical contexts. Not all list members are anthropologists, but group members share the common interest of applying ethnographic techniques and social sciences theory to industrial, software, and other types of product design."

Membership is permission-based.

Task Analysis in Surgery...and Wii for Surgeons

One of the most challenging aspects in conducting medical ethnography/observation for design research is constructing a complete and accurate task analysis.  Breaking down a complex surgical procedure into logical sub-tasks typically requires rigorous observations over multiple sessions, detailed video review and validation from subject matter experts. 

Constructing hierarchical task analysis in surgery*, which was published in the January 2008 issue of Surgical Endoscopy, provides a high-level description and concrete example of the process for creating a hierarchical task analysis in a surgical context.  Click on inset image for a process diagram from the article.

*Note - accessing the full article requires a paid subscription, or the individual article may be purchased for $32 - then again there's always the library.

On a somewhat related note, New Scientist reports on the development of surgical training simulations for the Nintendo Wii:

"Now they are designing Wii software that will accurately simulate surgical procedures. A training platform based on the console, which costs about $250, might be more practical for trainee surgeons in the developing world..."

For designer/researchers, lower cost training simulators may provide a way to simulate or test prototype surgical tools in the design process.

Download the Human Factors Design Standard

Even if you don't design aircraft, the Federal Aviation Administration's Human Factors Design Standard, is an invaluable (and free) reference for design practitioners. 

The complete design standard is large (10MB) and comprehensive - "an exhaustive compilation of human factors practices and principles" - but it provides succinct and tactical, evidence-based information.  For example, concerning touchscreens, fourteen specific guidelines are given for button size, labeling, position, dead space, etc, but the need to test with representative users is also recommended to keep these rules grounded in reality.

In 2007 the FAA added draft updates related to interface design, including displays and non-keyboard input devices (e.g. mouse, joystick, touchscreen). 

A brief, anonymous survey form is required to download the Human Factors Design Standard (HFDS).  Once past that, you may download the entire document or any of the 15 individual chapters or drafts, ranging from Alarms, Audio and Voice to Anthropometry and Biomechanics (a particularly strong section of the document).

Sparsely, but appropriately illustrated, the HFDS gives the actionable guidelines that so many product designers and students are desparate to find in a single location.

PS - Experimenting with larger font size for better readability on recent posts.

CES and Bug Labs

 

While I was not able to attend the Consumer Electronics Show this year due to other work commitments, all reports indicate that it was bigger than ever.  As expected, a number of high performance, high definition videocameras were announced, featuring researcher-friendly capabilities including larger capacity hard drives, image stabilization and greater optical zoom ranges.  I'm somewhat partial to the new JVC Everio line from a styling point of view, especially the top of the line GZ-HD7.

But beyond the typical consumer product lines, one product stood out and even took the Best of CES award for the emerging technology category.  That product is Bug Lab's Bug, described as a:

"collection of easy-to-use electronic modules that snap together to build any gadget you can imagine. Each BUGmodule represents a specific gadget function (ex: a camera, a keyboard, a video output, etc). You decide which functions to include and BUG takes care of the rest letting you try out different combinations quickly and easily. With BUG and the integrated programming environment/web community (BUGnet), anyone can build, program and share innovative devices and applications. We don't define the final products - you do."

In other words, a set of modular consumer electronics components that can fit together and then be custom programmed to do whatever the user/developer desires - open source will help with that a lot. 

The current set of modules include an LCD display, a camera, GPS and motion detector - all to be released this quarter, with second quarter modules including a touch screen, keyboard, and audio module.  Check out some videos on YouTube.

These components represent a promising set of opportunities for user and design research:

• Create custom data gathering devices and programs to conduct observational research (camera), time and motion studies (motion sensor, GPS), etc.
• Develop custom products and user interface prototypes for testing using the hardware and software capabilities

The quality of the hardware (e.g. video image quality, motion detector sensitivity) and the ease and flexibility of the development environment will be key of course, but I look forward to the possibilities that BUG may enable for the creative designer/researcher.

Designing Medical Device Touchpoints

In his most recent article in Medical Device and Design Industry, Michael Wiklund discusses the need to thoughtfully design every interaction, or touchpoint.  Refined Touchpoints Drive Quality Perceptions suggests that medical product purchasers are influenced by effective, high quality design as much as consumers might be when shopping for a new household kitchen appliance.

Wiklund emphasizes the industrial design aspect of touchpoints with a clear understanding of the influence of materials and mechanics on experience.  This makes the article a useful introduction for designers and usability specialists who might lack exposure to ID.  For example, his recommendations include:

• Minimize or hide molding defects (e.g., shrink marks, flow marks, color streaks) that give parts a plasticky look and give them an unrefined feel.
• Avoid exposed fasteners that give devices a more primitive appearance and can be hard to clean.
• Avoid sharp edges and corners. Instead, radius them—even if only slightly—so they feel better and do not pose a hazard to the skin or protective gloves. A slightly radiused edge can still look crisp if the device’s styling calls for it.
• Ensure that labels, whether they are printed, adhered, or molded in, are not subject to undue wear (e.g., rubbing off during the extended life cycle) that could make them illegible.

Key issues covered in the article include the obvious, like buttons and handles, but also less considered, but essential components such as wheels and connectors that can have a strong influence on the perception of design quality.  And while the focus is on medical devices, the suggestions are applicable to other product design fields.

Featured in IDSA designperspectives (and happy 8th birthday to us!)

The recent update to the DesigningforHumans site was covered in the December 07 issue of IDSA designperspectives.  The page 3 blurb, titled "A Blog for Joe and Josephine", briefly describes some of the recent changes to the site. 

Here's some additional detail above and beyond what's covered in the article:

I created the original IDSA Human Factors section site in 2000 (!), but at the time it was somewhat of a hassle to keep it current due to the available web editing technologies and it didn’t last very long. You can actually still access the home page circa 2000, although most of the links have rotted: http://www.idsa.org/whatsnew/sections/hfactors/

In January 2005 I restarted the site as a web log (aka blog) format because that accommodates quick entry of short to medium pieces of information that I could update frequently. It also allows people to subscribe to updates via email or RSS feed.  It’s been going strong since then with page views increasing by 100%+ in every year since 2005.

A large part of the audience is international and non-IDSA, who use the site for reference info on human factors issues (it’s ranked pretty high for relevant human factor searches in Google and elsewhere)