{"id":1295,"date":"2023-12-13T03:42:50","date_gmt":"2023-12-13T03:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/international.binus.ac.id\/graphic-design\/?p=1295"},"modified":"2023-12-13T03:42:50","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T03:42:50","slug":"human-factor-principles-in-ux-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/international.binus.ac.id\/graphic-design\/2023\/12\/13\/human-factor-principles-in-ux-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Human Factor Principles in UX Design"},"content":{"rendered":"
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by Nick Babich<\/h3>\n

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You may have come across the term \u201chuman factors design\u201d in the past, but what exactly is it? In this article, we will review why it\u2019s so important, key human factor design principles, and methods to evaluate how well you\u2019ve considered human factors in your design.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Illustration by Avirup Basu<\/em><\/p>\n

Most of us have had experience working with a system that is difficult to use. Even today, many systems are designed without adequate consideration of the user. Many product creators focus primarily on the technology, rather than on the people who will\u00a0use<\/em>\u00a0the technology.<\/p>\n

You may have come across the term \u201chuman factors design\u201d in the past, but what exactly is it? In this article, we will review why it\u2019s so important, key human factor design principles, and methods to evaluate how well you\u2019ve considered human factors in your design.<\/p>\n

What are \u201chuman factors\u201d in design?<\/h3>\n

Human factors<\/em>\u00a0refer to how users interact with systems, machines, platforms, or even tasks. As a discipline, it has strong military ties and is often associated with the aviation industry.<\/p>\n

The complexity of cockpit controls, for example, increases the cognitive load on pilots, leading to accidents due to human error (that\u2019s why it\u2019s called \u2018human\u2019 factors). Product creators, similarly, look for ways to reduce the cognitive load on users.<\/p>\n

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The cockpit of an Airbus A380 looks complex to anyone who doesn\u2019t have flight experience; similar, human factors design aims to make things easier when you\u2019re using a product or platform. Image credit\u00a0Naddsy via Flickr.<\/p>\n

Human factors design (or\u00a0people-centered design<\/em>), specifically, focuses on improving areas within a product or design where interaction happens. Examples include when you use a touchscreen smartphone and when you perform tasks on your desktop computer.<\/p>\n

The goal is to reduce the number of mistakes that users make and produce more comfortable interactions with a product. Human factors design is about understanding human capabilities and limitations and then applying this knowledge to product design. It\u2019s also a combination of many disciplines, including psychology, sociology, engineering, and industrial design.<\/p>\n

Human factors vs. UX<\/h3>\n

So, when we talk about human factors design, is it the same as UX design? Not necessarily.<\/p>\n

Human factors design has roots in ergonomics, and it\u2019s primarily focused on how people interact with technology. It\u2019s about making a system usable, especially when it comes to human-computer interaction (HCI).<\/p>\n

User experience (UX), on the other hand, encompasses\u00a0everything<\/em>\u00a0that users go through when they interact with a product. The goal of UX design is to make a system both useful\u00a0and<\/em>\u00a0pleasurable to interact with.<\/p>\n

When people evaluate a product, they usually judge it on both usability and likeability. The human factors that make a product usable are a part of the larger user experience. Thus, UX designers should have a good understanding of human factors design so they can create a great product.<\/p>\n

Key human factor design principles<\/h3>\n

As we mentioned above, human factors are all about improving the interactions between machines and humans. To make this happen, you\u2019ll need to think about your user\u2019s capabilities and limitations, and then apply those to your product or web design.<\/p>\n

Most of the human factors principles listed below come from the\u00a0ISO 9241\u00a0standards for ergonomics of human-computer interaction. The principles mentioned in this section have one goal: helping the user engage with a product and get into a state of \u2018flow\u2019 when using it.<\/p>\n

Physical ergonomics<\/strong><\/p>\n

Physical ergonomics refers to the human body\u2019s responses to physical work demands\u2014for example, using the physical muscles of your hand to hold your smartphone or touch a screen. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to create comfortable interaction with a product. To assess whether the product is good for the user, human factors specialists take into account:<\/p>\n