09.29.2009
Andy Hamilton /
Industrial Design
After spending four days in beautiful Miami, sitting in freezing cold conference rooms, listening to a diverse collection of intelligent people talk about the field of industrial design, I noticed a few recurring themes. I recognize that there were probably many young industrial designers, much like myself, who didn’t have the opportunity to go this year due to budgetary constraints. So I wanted to share some of my thoughts on the themes I picked up on while I was there…
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09.28.2009
Mark Dezelon /
Consumer Products /
Human Factors /
Industrial Design /
News /
User Research
HumanCentric contributed to an article on industrial design in the September issue of Appliance Design magazine. Dr. Barry Beith, founder and CEO, along with Brian Chiarizia, IDSA, Manager of Industrial Design, and Dr. Christina Mendat, Manager and Senior Human Factors Specialist, contributed their thoughts to the importance of functionality and human factors when it comes to product design of professional and commercial appliances.
In the article titled Design that Means Business by Steve Wichelecki, Brian noted that the size and use of many professional/commercial appliances have potential safety hazards that must be considered in the product’s functionality. Barry added to that by stating, “regardless of whether the design of a professional/commercial or consumer appliance is in question, products need to be safe, perform to consumer quality expectations, and be intuitive/easy to learn.”
Christina expands on the approach of designing appliances by discussing various methods to uncover user needs. “Within each area there will be a great amount of variability in terms of day-to-day interaction, pain points and general perceptions; therefore, it is important that research involve as many participants as possible, collecting both qualitative and quantitative data.” She cites ethnography and task analysis as methods for understanding user needs.
Brian and Christina represent the complimentary skill sets of design and research at HumanCentric, where the integration of these disciplines is leveraged on all projects for a variety of clients in the following domains: consumer products, transportation, telecom, web/software and medical. While at HumanCentric, Brian and Christina have partnered on such diverse products as small cooking appliances, a dry powder inhaler, a zero-turn lawn mower and a next-generation gaming console interface.
Appliance Design is a publication with a focus on design and engineering in the appliance industry. For more information, read the full article at http://tinyurl.com/yapq4p5.
09.23.2009
Matthew Stevens /
Industrial Design
Just a friendly reminder – come check out our presentation, Transparent User-Centered Design on a Dime, at Project Infusion, IDSA’s 2009 conference in Miami, FL. We’ll be discussing low-cost ways to implement a user-centered design process. It’s going to be fun!
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Flickr as the conference unfolds.
09.22.2009
Elizabeth Mauer - Former Staffer /
Design Research /
Human Factors /
Industrial Design /
Trends /
User Research
As a human factors practitioner, I completely and whole-heartedly support talking to users as an integral part of the product design process. I think it’s the best way to make sure a product is useful, usable, and desirable (the holy trinity, in my book).
However, I’m not living under a rock. I know these days companies have tighter budgets and even tighter timelines. The pressure is on more so than ever to produce products that will sell while spending the least amount of money developing them. Product teams are looking at their budgets and trying to trim off anything they can do without. Many times it’s easy and tempting for user research to be left out to save money and time in the development process…
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08.08.2009
Mark Dezelon /
Consumer Products /
Industrial Design /
Medical /
News
HumanCentric is pleased to announce a new strategic partnership formed today with Stander, Inc. Founded by Jan Miller in 1998, Stander is a manufacturer of innovative mobility solutions for beds, bathrooms, couches, and automobiles. The new partnership brings together the core disciplines of human factors, product design and usability, which help create desirable and easy-to-use assistive products such as bed rails, walkers, canes and grab-bars.
“The aging baby boomer generation will soon need (and demand) assistive devices that are well-designed, attractive and able to fit into their active lifestyles. Stander’s commitment to excellence in product design and customer service makes it a natural choice to form a partnership. Our collective product design teams and researchers help fine-tune designs that are in the planning stages, so that the best designs are ultimately put into the hands of millions,” said Barry Beith, Ph.D., CEO and Chief Technical Officer, HumanCentric.
“Stander is committed to bringing new assistive technologies to the aging community. Our customers, ‘the baby boomers,’ demand high quality products that are functional and aesthetically pleasing. HumanCentric’s researched-based designs give a focus to safety and usability. Combined with Stander’s commitment to excellence and listening to our customers needs, this joint venture is a recipe for success. We are honored to be in partnership with HumanCentric,” said Jan Miller, President of Stander Inc.
07.30.2009
Andy Hamilton /
Green Technology /
Industrial Design
I love Craigslist. With a regional filter, it provides a window into the lives of the single, the unemployed, and the junk ridden people you never knew lived all around you. For me it is a constant source of entertainment. But more than entertainment, it has changed the way I think about buying the things I need, and how I think about product lifetimes.
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07.24.2009
Elizabeth Mauer - Former Staffer /
Consumer Products /
Industrial Design
It’s no secret at HumanCentric that I love animals. I regularly bring in my own dog to hang out while I work, and I usually have a foster dog that tags along as well. Thank goodness HumanCentric is a dog-friendly workplace.
So given my love for animals and my love for beautifully-designed products, I was so excited to stumble upon this company: Wetnöz. They were featured in the summer 2009 issue of Innovation magazine. How great are their products? I completely agree with their company’s vision: that people spend lots of time selecting furniture and accessories to beautify their homes, and that should include pet products.
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06.26.2009
Rebecca Pezdek /
Consumer Products /
Design Inspiration /
Industrial Design
It’s been quite some time now that I’ve been following the development of outdoor solar lights. I have always been drawn to them because of the amazing fact that they are not only off the grid but also extremely low maintenance. I’ve been waiting eagerly for a company to take advantage of this technology and integrate it into a beautiful packaging. Then along comes the Soji Modern lanterns which have made a clear statement that solar doesn’t mean techy and it doesn’t mean cheap. Solar lighting can be just as soft and delicate as tealights and even more daring because there are no open flame restrictions to deal with. And this is just the tip of the iceberg of possibilities for solar products that are beautiful and inspiring. Let us know if you find more!
06.10.2009
Brian Chiarizia /
Industrial Design
HumanCentric and Stander, Inc. have been working together for the past several months developing new home care products. Stander designs and manufactures innovative mobility solutions for the bed, bath, couch, and automobile. The first of many HumanCentric designed products for Stander will be released this fall at the Medtrade show in Atlanta, GA. There’s not much that we can show or talk about at this point, but we can tell you this… you have never seen mobility products this beautiful at grandma and grandpa’s house.
For more information about Stander, or to view their current product line, check them out at stander.com.
