Good and bad examples of ergonomics (Week 9)

             What does ergonomics mean? To answer this question in the briefest sense, I would say that ergonomics is about the ways of designing for individuals. In a wider definition, it is considered as the technique of correspondence to the user’s requirements, which is mainly targeting the enhancement of efficiency and productiveness, while minimizing the uneasiness [1]. Think of performing a heavy lifting exercise while your legs are not in the proper place or doing such exercise in a poor posture. Such things can be prevented with the help of the knowledge of ergonomics. At that moment, if we think about the correct and ergonomic way of doing these exercises then we can prevent future injuries. Based on this topic, I will introduce two opposite examples of ergonomics in which one will result in catastrophe, while the other one will assist in forestalling such terrible consequences.

Bad Ergonomics

[image source: https://www.wired.com/2008/02/gallery-apple-flops/]

         Firstly, when it comes to a bad design that resulted in a disaster, I can mention the “Original iMac Mouse” which is also known as “Hockey puck”. This mouse was released in the year 1998 and surprisingly enough it was included with their iMac line in the following 2 years, as well [2]. Furthermore, it was the first mouse that included a USB connection instead of the usual Apple Desktop Bus (ADB). Besides these points, it was a bad mouse when it came to its “ergonomics”. The main criticism of the mouse mostly came from its shape as it was round and had only one button at the top. This circular shape is really uncomfortable as the size of it was little and moving it was inconvenient compared to the traditional elliptical-shaped mice. In addition, “Apple USB Mouse” had a short cable which became more of a problem as this condition overlapped with the same moment when their USB ports moved from the center to the left side of the notebooks [2]. After those 2 years, Apple replaced this mouse with “Apple Pro Mouse” which was more ergonomic compared to its predecessor.

Good Ergonomics

[image source: https://www.lifewire.com/microsoft-surface-ergonomic-keyboard-review-4780282]

            On the other hand, one of the best examples of “good ergonomics” is a keyboard called “Microsoft Surface Ergonomic Keyboard”. This keyboard was announced in 2016 and many people were surprised with the ease of use of this keyboard. This keyboard is powered by a pair of AAA batteries which is included in their sale version [3]. The keyboard is really comfortable as it includes wrist wrest which is covered with Alcantara fabric. Additionally, the keyboard is wireless which creates an opportunity for the customers to use it within 15 meters range. It is also worth mentioning that the curved design of this keyboard helps its users to reach the intended keys with the least amount of effort. Nevertheless, there are a few aspects that made it hard for users to buy this keyboard. For example, the price range of this keyboard differs from $90 to $140 which is approximately 50% price difference thus resulting in consumer uncertainty.

Conclusion

         In summary, when we talk about buying a product, we mostly consider its ease of use as it is one of the most important aspects of that device. In the subsequent paragraphs, I discussed some products that put more emphasis on ergonomics than the others which sacrificed ergonomics for the sake of other prominent characteristics which may or may not be limited to height, weight, sleekness, performance, and general software.

 

References

[1]	"What is Ergonomics?," Humanscale, [Online]. Available: https://www.humanscale.com/ergonomics/what-is-ergonomics/index.cfm. [Accessed 22 February 2022].
[2]	"Apple USB Mouse," Wikipedia, [Online]. Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_USB_Mouse#cite_note-wired-1. [Accessed 22 February 2022].
[3]	"The 9 Best Ergonomic Keyboards for Business in 2022," Investopedia, [Online]. Available: https://www.investopedia.com/best-ergonomic-keyboards-5185076. [Accessed 22 February 2022].