ARCH 140: Human Factors & Built Environment

Designing workplaces, products, and systems to suit the people who use them.

Considering human capabilities and limitations in design.

The study of how people use space to communicate and interact.

Designing spaces that best meet users needs and reduce risks/errors.

The study of human body measurements.

The initial phase of design where human factors should be a consideration.

Final stage of design where human factors must still inform the process and solution.

Making items usable by people of various abilities.

The study of how humans interact with their surroundings, aiming to improve performance and safety.

Understanding how humans interact with products, workspaces, and environments in daily life.

Important for designers to understand human capabilities and interactions with environments and objects.

Understanding human factors is critical to creating products and building environments that are both safe and user-friendly.

Components of the field of human factors, including proxemics, anthropometrics, and ergonomics.

Furniture permanently attached to a building.

Furniture that can be moved, but requires effort or specialized tools.

The closest distance zone, typically reserved for close relationships, like romantic partners or family.

The distance zone for casual interactions with friends and acquaintances, like a conversation at a party.

The distance zone for formal interactions, like a business meeting or a presentation.

The farthest distance zone used for public speeches or performances.

Different levels of personal space people maintain based on relationship and context (intimate, personal, social, public).

As children grow, their personal space preferences evolve, mimicking those of their parents and cultural norms.

Controlling access to oneself or a group; involves separation from others and intimacy with chosen individuals.

Communicating control over an area through visible or invisible boundaries (public, home, interactional).

Temporary use of space by an individual or group (e.g., park bench, bus seat).

The area where individuals normally belong and feel a sense of ownership.

Informal gathering spaces where people congregate (e.g., a coffee shop, a park).

A spatial arrangement that discourages interaction between people by placing furniture in rows or far apart.

A spatial arrangement that encourages interaction by positioning furniture perpendicular to each other, bringing people closer.

Space that relies on human interaction without fixed features, shaping the spatial experience through distances and furniture sizes.

Designing spaces and furniture in relation to the size and capabilities of the human body.

Fixed features are permanent elements like walls, while semi-fixed features are movable objects that influence space, like furniture.

Changes in an individual's body measurements over their lifetime due to factors like aging, health, nutrition, and exercise.

Differences in body measurements between individuals based on gender, ethnicity, and race.

Changes in body measurements over generations, often resulting in increased height and stature.

Designers must consider the wide range of body sizes and capabilities an individual may experience during their lifetime, accounting for aging, injuries, and physical changes.

Designers must accommodate the varied body proportions of different populations, such as gender-specific clothing sizes or furniture heights.

Designers need to consider the increasing height and stature of people over generations, especially when designing spaces like doorways and furniture.

Health conditions, medical problems, aging, nutrition, range of motion, ability to move, and the environment all contribute to changes in an individual's body measurements over their life.

Understanding individual, inter-individual, and secular variability ensures that designs accommodate diverse needs and are accessible and comfortable for a wide range of users.

The minimum space needed for a body part to move freely around an object or a design feature, ensuring people can use it without bumping or getting stuck.

The distance someone can comfortably reach with their hand while seated, used in designing controls, buttons, and other interactive elements.

The way a person sits, stands, or lies, affecting the dimensions between their body and the workspace. Designers consider how posture influences functionality and comfort.

The amount of force a person can exert, used in designing objects and workspaces. Often, the weakest user's strength is factored in for safety and accessibility.

The ability to change a product's size or configuration, making it suitable for a wider range of users with different body sizes and preferences.

Categorizing body dimensions (length, width, height) of individuals into different groups based on age and percentile.

Represents the average or 'middle' value of a measurement within a population, accounting for 95% of individuals.

A specific range of measurements representing a percentage of the population, like 5% to 95% (representing most people).

A graphical representation of how frequently a measurement (like height) occurs within a population.

Key body dimensions used in design, including height, reach, sitting height, leg length, and weight.

Individual people can have different body proportions even if they share a similar overall measurement like height.

Specific body dimensions collected for children based on age and gender, useful for designing products, furniture, and spaces.

Common body measurements for adults categorized by age and gender to ensure comfortable and functional design, including height, sitting height, reach, and weight.

The measurement across the widest part of the shoulders.

The height of a surface where a person can comfortably rest their elbows.