Ergonomically Correct

An interesting way to analyze the design of something it to look at it critically from an ergonomic standpoint. Ergonomic comes from the Greek word ergon (work) and the Greek word nomos (laws), and it is an idea that is concerned with the ease of use of a product. There are five areas of ergonomic research and looking at each are makes the basis for design criticism. Today I'm going to analyze something that I use everyday: my car, a 2006 Kia Sportage.





Safety: The design that goes into the safety of product is incredibly important, especially when that product is a motor vehicle. Everything from the seat belts to airbags to braking systems have to be designed and thoroughly tested so that the safety of the consumer can be ensured. With every product the designers must decided what is most important to them as a factor of design. And among the five areas of ergonomic research I believe that safety should (and probably is) the most important element a designer looks at when designing a vehicle. If a seat belt looks really cool but could never hold someone in their seat then it is worthless. The Kia Sportage is ranked very high among SUV safety ratings, obviously safety was important to these designers and engineers.

Comfort: Comfort is another area of ergonomic research that I believe is hugely important to designing motor vehicles. A consumer spends a great deal of time in their cars. Most people use them everyday to get to and from work, and of course whenever they need to get around town. Often the time spent in one's car is a stressful time (rush hour traffic and road rage) so it is so important that the vehicle be a comfortable place. Especially people who like to travel, long road trips need to be comfortable or else you'd have no use for the car. The Kia Sportage is a roomy SUV, but not a mammoth vehicle like a Suburban, it fits five adults in it very comfortably with adjustable seats.

Ease of Use: This is another very important area of design because when a designer creates something they need to make sure that any consumer could easily jump right into using it. This is especially important with vehicles because most all adults depend on automobiles everyday and it shouldn't matter what kind of car it is everyone should know how to use them.

Performance: When it comes to the performance of a vehicle there is a lot to consider when designing and engineering it. Consumers are often looking for a vehicle that will be able to last them a long time, they want to get their money's worth out of that car. They're looking for something that will be reliable and that will not constantly need repairs or new maintenance. Consumers are looking for cars that can perform well and efficiently, especially when it comes to fuel efficiency. In this current economic climate vehicle reliability, fuel efficiency, and overall performance are huge factors in the design of a car.

Aesthetics: This is probably the are that sees the most variance when it comes to vehicles. There are so many different makes and models out there that perform on similar levels that choosing a car often comes down to the look of it. When I look at the aesthetic design of a Kia Sportage I see a very interesting car. It is built with the body of an SUV, though much smaller. It only has two rows of seats instead of three, though there is a great amount of trunk area space. The lines on the body of the vehicle are smooth fluid lines that offer a sleeker look than many other SUVs. It's a well designed vehicle, that offers unique look and utility.

There is so much that goes into the design of any product, especially a vehicle, and each of the above areas of ergonomic research are incredibly important to the overall design and appeal of a product.