Product Design

Anthropometrics and
Ergonomics

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Learning objectives
Learning objectives

To consider the anthropometrics of potential end

users when designing a product.

To ensure that products being designed are

ergonomically suitable for a range of user groups.

To become familiar with anthropometric terminology.

To be able to place users in a percentile range.

To be able to carry out some empirical

anthropometric research.

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Background on anthropometrics

If a product is going to be successful and meet the needs

of the user group, product designers must use specific
information about the user group, such as their
dimensions and physical characteristics.
The dimensions of the human body are called
anthropometrics. This word refers to the actual
measurements of body parts, e.g. the length of an arm
or the width of a foot.
Anthropometrics are vital to product design because they
are one of the key product criteria that designers use
when developing solutions.

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The study of anthropometrics

The word anthropometrics takes its root from two other

words:

Anthropology Metric

Anthropology is the study of humankind.

Metric describes the universal unit of measurement.
When they are combined, they mean the study of human
measurements.

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The study of anthropometrics

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Using anthropometric information
You must decide which group of people your product is
aimed at.
Anthropometric information is provided in tables and
divided up into different ages, gender and nationalities.
SO… you need to know who you are designing for!

A design for an executive office desk for

A children’s keyboard must have use in the USA would need to take into
keys sized for children’s fingers. account the anthropometric data for
working adults from America.

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Using anthropometric information

Work out which body measurements are important.

It is vital to know which parts of the body your
product needs to accommodate.
If you are designing a chair, what
anthropometric information will you need?

Buttock to popliteal
length

Buttock width

Popliteal height

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Using anthropometric information
Are you designing for smaller, average or larger people?
No two people have exactly the same dimensions but we all fit
into one of three categories – depending on your dimensions,
you will fall into the 5th, 50th or 95th percentile range.
Most people appear to be a similar
height. These people fall into the 50th
percentile range and are considered of
average height.
A small percentage of people are
shorter than this majority – this group is
known as the 5th percentile.
Others are taller than most people and
belong to the 95th percentile.
5% of the population are smaller than the ‘average’
person and 5% are bigger than the ‘average’ person.
About 90% of the population are considered average.
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Using anthropometric information

Look at the people around you now. Let’s carry out some
empirical research.
Arrange yourselves into gender groups (female and male).
Within the gender groups, arrange yourselves into height
order.
How many people are ‘average’ and how many are
significantly taller or shorter?
Could you plot individual
Frequency
heights on the graph and
draw a line through them?
Does it look like the graph
on the previous slide?
If not, are there any
Shortest Average Tallest
obvious reasons why?
1.5m 1.68m 1.85m
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Anthropometric constraints

It’s important to think about whether to use the 5th, 50th or

95th percentile anthropometric data.
Consider the following design scenarios and discuss why
the particular range has been used.
Designing a car dashboard
5th percentile measurements are used so that
smaller people can reach the instruments easily.

Designing an aircraft seat

95th percentile measurements are used
so that larger people can sit in the seat.

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Anthropometric constraints

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Anthropometrics of the hands

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Anthropometrics of the head and neck

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Anthropometrics of the lower body

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Anthropometrics of the upper body

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Anthropometrics for seating

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Ergonomics

What is ergonomics?

The word ERGONOMICS comes from the Greek language:

ERGOS = work
NOMOS = natural law

Ergonomics is the relationship between a product

and its user.

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Ergonomics

Ergonomists study products, systems and environments

and how they fit with their users.
As a product designer, you will need to consider how
well a product meets the ergonomic needs of its user
group in performing a task.
If the relationship between
these aspects in the circle is
weak, the product is
ergonomically unsuitable.
How would a specification,
a product analysis and
anthropometric data be
useful in this scenario?

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Bottle case study

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Using ergonomics in the home
Designing a kitchen
When designing a kitchen, there are several principles which
are essential to stick to:
The work triangle. For a right-handed
person, the sequence of activities must
allow movement from left to right from
the sink, to a work surface, to the cooker
(in that order).
Tall cupboards, doors, routes through the
kitchen and passageways should not
interfere with the work triangle.
The work triangle must not measure
more than 7000mm (7m) for medium-
sized kitchens.
Using the activity on the next slide, create a kitchen
layout based around an ideal work triangle.
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Designing a kitchen

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Car seats

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Designing a chair

The same chair is being used by a 50th percentile person, a

5th percentile person and a 95th percentile person. How could
the design of the chair be improved to suit all three people?

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Plenary

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Key points

Anthropometrics is the study of body measurements

and statistical data concerning the sizes and shapes
Key points

of the population.
Ergonomics is the relationship between a product and
its users.
All people fall into the 5th, 50th and 95th
anthropometric percentile range.
User group, posture, clearance, reach and strength
are all important factors in anthropometrics and
ergonomics.

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