human factors
People-system interaction study
Human factors is the study of how people interact with systems, equipment, and environments—especially in workplaces where errors have serious consequences.
The field applies psychology, physiology, and engineering to design interfaces, procedures, and spaces that account for human capabilities and limitations: The crash investigation cited human factors, not mechanical failure.
Also called ergonomics, though that term emphasizes physical design while human factors encompasses cognitive and organizational elements.
Returned response data
- affordancePerceived usability property
- visibilityRange of clear sight
- legibilityClearness of text
- touchscreenInput-sensitive display panel
icon design · response time · input device · visual hierarchy · error messages · confirmation · undo · labeling
Focused mental awareness
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- decision-makingProcess of choosing actions
- workloadAssigned task volume
situational awareness · mental models · cognitive load · vigilance · fatigue · comprehension · reasoning · judgment
- learnabilityEase of acquisition
- efficiencyProductive without waste
- error rateMeasure of mistakes made
- satisfactionState of fulfilled desires
iterative design · prototype testing · think-aloud · eye tracking · accessibility · discoverability · intuitiveness · effectiveness
Science of body measurements
- biomechanicsScience of organism movement
- postureBody position, alignment
- repetitive strainDamage from repeated movement
- musculoskeletalPertaining to muscles and bones
body mechanics · fatigue · comfort · grip strength · lifting · adjustability · fit · clearance
Evaluating likelihood of harm
- accident investigationFormal inquiry into mishaps
- safety cultureCollective attitude toward risk prevention
- near-missNarrowly averted incident
- fail-safeAutomatic harm prevention mechanism
checklists · lockout-tagout · protective equipment · emergency response · safety training · violation · mistake · slip
Self-operating system design
- system designPlanning complex structures
- team coordinationCollective effort management
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
- handoffDirect physical exchange
shift work · staffing · workload distribution · sociotechnical · mission control · redundancy
feedback
Returned response data
- affordancePerceived usability property
- visibilityRange of clear sight
- legibilityClearness of text
touchscreen · icon design · response time · input device · visual hierarchy · error messages · confirmation · undo · labeling · grouping
attention
Focused mental awareness
- perceptionMental interpretation of stimuli
- memoryMind's retention capacity
- decision-makingProcess of choosing actions
workload · situational awareness · mental models · cognitive load · vigilance · fatigue · comprehension · reasoning · judgment · information processing
user testing
- learnabilityEase of acquisition
- efficiencyProductive without waste
- error rateMeasure of mistakes made
satisfaction · iterative design · prototype testing · think-aloud · eye tracking · accessibility · discoverability · intuitiveness · effectiveness · memorability
anthropometry
Science of body measurements
- biomechanicsScience of organism movement
- postureBody position, alignment
- repetitive strainDamage from repeated movement
musculoskeletal · body mechanics · fatigue · comfort · grip strength · lifting · adjustability · fit · clearance
risk assessment
Evaluating likelihood of harm
- accident investigationFormal inquiry into mishaps
- safety cultureCollective attitude toward risk prevention
- near-missNarrowly averted incident
fail-safe · checklists · lockout-tagout · protective equipment · emergency response · safety training · violation · mistake · slip · lapse
automation
Self-operating system design
- system designPlanning complex structures
- team coordinationCollective effort management
- communicationExchanging ideas or information
handoff · shift work · staffing · workload distribution · sociotechnical · mission control · redundancy
- safetysafety helmet, hazard, airbag, alert, occupational safety
- behavioral sciencebehaviorism, conditioning, reinforcement, stimulus, response
- Crash InvestigationsNTSB, crash investigation, crash site, crash scene, black box
- ergonomic designergonomics, usability, intuitive design, universal design, accessibility
- industrial managementassembly line, mass production, factory floor, production line, division of labor
- aerospace medicinebioastronautics, microgravity, zero gravity, pressure suit, space suit
human factorstechnical specifications
Documented product parameters
mechanical engineering · electrical engineering · computer science · materials science · technical analysis
human factorsmechanical failure
Equipment stops working properly
equipment failure · system failure · structural failure · environmental factors · hardware failure
human factorsautomation
Self-operating system design
artificial intelligence · robotic systems · mechanical systems · computer systems
human, humans, humane, factors, inhuman, superhuman, inhumane, humanize, subhuman