Engineering+Psychology

=Engineering Psychology=

toc

Engineering Psychology is applying psychological concepts to the design of human-machine systems. It means designing interactive systems that accomodate human limits.

For example, is it better for the formatting toolbar to be placed on the top or bottom of the interface? In engineering psychology, we consider //why// the top (or bottom) is better.

Many people think human-error, human inexperience with aspects of technology, or lack of understanding of concepts is to blame, but when users have issues with a particular technology, but instead these are really errors in design.

An interesting website illustrating examples of bad design: http://www.baddesigns.com/

As a designer, you want to incorporate in your design features that accomodate to how the typical audience or typical user thinks. You may ask questions: Does the user's initial actions match the design's? Are functions clear for the common user to understand? What does the user want and need from the design?

Tractors
The terrain on which tractors ride is typically rough and/or hilly. With the help of a tractor, a farmer works long hours, but they can work quickly and get a lot done. When tractors were in their beginning stages of development, many people had accidents from tractor turnovers, overturn, or roll-overs that accounted for 50% of tractor related deaths on the farm.

These accidents were once considered human error. But if we examine the structure of the tractor, we can pick out a few indications of bad design.



What does this mean?
Many problems with human-machine systems result from designs that don't recognize peoples' capabilities and fallibilities. This leads to apparent machine misues and human error. Good design considers human capabilities.

Minimizing Human Error

 * Develop a beta version of your design.
 * Look for examples of "human error"
 * Develop a study
 * Questionnaires/Surveys
 * Interview
 * User Study
 * Task Analysis
 * From findings, determine issues/problems users experienced
 * Develop requirements that should be incorporated into the design
 * Develop a prototype and keep testing for new problems in design

Elements to Consider
The following are elements in Engineering Psychology to consider when developing proper design.

Perceived Affordances
The properties of an object or interface and how a person could use it.
 * knobs are for turning
 * buttons are for pressing
 * switches are for toggling
 * handles are for pulling, holding

Visible Constraints
Example: doors are one thing that many people get frustrated with. The design implies how you should use it: whether to push or pull. Sometimes the design suggests the wrong action from the user. How many times have we gone to the mall and pulled on a handle when the door was designed to be pushed open instead? This is an example of poor design with perceived affordances. The lesson? People's perceptions and expectations should match the design's.

Feedback
After the user completes an action, feedback should be provided.
 * One example of how this may work is the action of pushing a button. Feedback should visually show that button has been pressed:

>
 * Another example is feedback for windows. When a user exits out of Microsoft Word window without saving, an alert box pops-up on the screen, asking the user if they want to save any changes. It is evident which elements of the box are clickable. An explanation and all buttons are displayed in clear English. The most commonly used button "save" is highlighted, directing the user's attention.

Mapping
Does the design function logically spatially and temporally?


 * This is an example of //bad// mapping:

The mouse and keyboard symbols indicate that is where you plug the cord. But the plugs are ambiguous. We don't know where to plug in the mouse and where to plug in the keyboard. The plugs are identical. They are different colors, but the symbols do not indicate which to plug in where.

The location of each control matches the connecting burner. There is no confusion between which knob controls which burner.
 * Here is an example of //good// mapping: