Human Factors: Diversity & Cultural Impact

• Human Factors Part Two covers human factors and diverse capabilities
• The lecture content includes human diversity and cultural impact on design, inclusive design, the elderly, and children's and special needs

Human Diversity and Cultural Impact on Design

• No two humans are the same when considering physical, cultural, background, gender, and spiritual dimension aspects
• Spiritual dimension relates to behavior within a space and the surrounding beliefs and destinations
• Design must consider the global market, remembering that every culture has different perceptions, which will affect how spaces are designed
• During programming phase, interviewing, observing, and locating evidence is related to the spiritual dimension

Anthropology and Human Diversity

• Anthropology studies various world cultures
• Culture associates with inhabitants speaking different languages and having different traditions
• Culture studies language, arts, stories, and traditions
• Diversity includes differences in culture
• Core Dimensions:
  • Gender: Male, Female
  • Age: Generational differences, life stage (childhood, adulthood, elderly)
  • Race & Ethnicity: Cultural heritage and ancestry, nationality, and regional identity
  • Physical & Mental Abilities: Mobility and Sensory impairments, Neurodiversity, Mental health
  • Religion & Spirituality: Religious affiliations, spiritual practices & traditions

Gender Differences

• Males and females differ anatomically and in brain development
• Between 10 and 12 years old, boys and girls are similar in height, but their brains are quite different
• For example, in observations of girls and boys drawing: Girls draw people, pets, flowers, or trees using color, while boys drew action scenes involving monsters, hair, clothes and added faces and eyes
• Women often consider the emotional side of an issue, while men focus on the facts

Generational Differences

• Generational differences are the gap between children and the elderly including size, mobility, visual and hearing abilities, and knowledge
• Generation refers to the era someone grew up and the experiences most encountered
• The ability for generations to work well together comes from understanding differences and creating a harmonious environment
• The Greatest Generation are people born between 1910-1924
• The Silent Generation are people born between 1925-1945
• Baby Boomers are people born between 1946-1964
• Generation X are people born between 1965-1980
• Generation Y (Millennials) are people born between 1981-1994
• Generation Z are people born between 1995-2012
• Generation Alphas are people born between 2013-2024
• Generation Betas are people born between 2025-2039

Physical Differences

• People differ in shape and size
• Height and weight charts show normal weights via BMI (25 to 30)
• Bariatric chairs are for obese individuals

Sensory Differences

• Cultures vary in how people are affected by their senses and how they interact
• Human sensory systems are classified into two categories: distance and immediate receptors

Distance Receptors

• Distance receptors examine distant objects through eyes, ears, and nose

Visual Experience

• Vision fills gaps in information using visual cues and imagination
• Cultural groups interpret space differently, guided by upbringing
• Color perception and symbolism varies
• Accessibility for color blindness and high contrast for readability

Hearing and Speaking

• People interpret environments based on language and cultural norms
• Sound control preferences vary
• Some cultures favor silence, and others embrace noisy environments
• Acoustics-friendly architecture, and inclusive soundscapes

Olfactory Sense

• Smell varies across cultures
• Smell may be de-emphasized or strongly associated with specific environments or memories

Immediate Receptors

• Immediate receptors help examine the world up close

Tactile Space

• Helps perceive surface textures, hardness, and shape through direct physical contact

Thermal Space

• Regulates body temperature and respond to environmental temperature changes

Religion & Spirituality Differences:

• Different cultures might live in one community and must respect one another's diverse ways of thinking
• Diversity in the office environment means working with people from all parts of the world with varied religious beliefs

Design Considerations in a Global Market

• Every culture has different perceptions, so the designer considers aspects while being sensitive to clients
• Visual Culture: Global communication by integrating diverse cultural influences, helping recognize physical forms and psychological aspects
• Experiencing Space: Understanding spiritual dimensions to affect how space is experienced
• Religious Practices: People's religions vary, requiring space within a private or public area
  • Christianity: Church services, prayer, singing hymns, communion
  • Islam: Five daily prayers (Salah), Friday congregational prayer (Jumu'ah)
  • Judaism: Daily prayers (Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv), Sabbath observance
  • Hinduism: Puja (worship of deities), meditation, and chanting mantras
  • Buddhism: Meditation, chanting sutras, temple visits