SCIE 217
Ergonomics

Emily Carr University of Art + Design, CA

COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course focuses on the fundamentals of ergonomics, and the interface between human and machine. Students gain a basic knowledge of safety, maintenance, and ease of use. They will learn methods for investigating user behaviours, anthropometrics, the design of control devices and displays, human factors, and environmental psychology.

Project 01: Student Body
(Anthropometric Data Report)

CREATE AN ANTHROPOMETRIC DATA REPORT

Project 01: Student Body asks each and every one of you to think about the variability of the human body and how we might consider all shapes and sizes in the things we create... how we are all similar, yet different to one another. In this project, you will be working in groups of 4, preferably having a mix of male and female students in a group.

Project 02: Product Review
Product Assessment

IDENTIFY WHICH PRODUCTS ARE ERGONOMICALLY DESIGNED AND NOT

As a group of 3, students will be assessing everyday items you observe or interact with if they are ergonomic or not based on ergonomics best practices by leaving comments, suggestions, and exposition on why these are so similar to that of a product review in online shopping platforms, identifying...

• products that you feel are well-designed ergonomically
• products that can be improved ergonomically, and 
  
• products that are not well-designed ergonomically at all. 

Project 03: Room for Improvement
Spatial Evaluation and (re)design

EVALUATE AND RECOMMEND (RE)DESIGN SUGGESTIONS FOR A SPACE/ROOM ON CAMPUS

In groups of 3, students will identify a room/space on campus they would like to evaluate and potentially provide recommendations for redesign to make it more ergonomic, taking into consideration best practices for workplace design, types of engagements, and ideal environment scenarios to make work safer, easier to use, and generally more ergonomic.