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Making human factors effective in industry: examples from business telephone systems
1Johns Hopkins University, Communications Research Laboratory, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Applied Ergonomics
|December 1, 1983
Summary
Human factors engineering improves business telephone systems throughout development. This research highlights customer needs analysis, design testing, and user training for better product outcomes and generalizable principles.
Area of Science:
- Human Factors Engineering
- Product Development
- Ergonomics
Background:
- The product development cycle often overlooks crucial human-computer interaction aspects.
- Effective integration of human factors is essential for successful product design and usability.
Purpose of the Study:
- To illustrate the contributions of human factors across all product development phases.
- To demonstrate the applicability of human factors principles in diverse contexts.
Main Methods:
- Customer needs surveys for initial requirements gathering.
- Laboratory testing of alternative physical designs and control interfaces.
- Development and evaluation of instructional materials and delivery systems.
- Field studies and evaluations of the final product in real-world settings.
Main Results:
- Human factors contributions were successfully integrated into business telephone system development.
- Applied study data yielded generalizable principles applicable to other product development scenarios.
- Effective methods for instructional design and delivery were developed.
Conclusions:
- Human factors engineering significantly enhances product development, from initial concept to final evaluation.
- The integration of human factors leads to more effective and user-centered products.
- Generalizable principles derived from applied research can inform future human factors work.