Common Craft Blog
Cognitive Ergonomics
By leelefever on June 24, 2004 - 8:20am
Ergonomics Today(TM) - What is Cognitive Ergonomics?
As I've been learning and doing contextual inquiry (observing users at work), the whole idea of making products easier to use through observing the user experience has completely absorbed me.
I had never see the term "cognitive ergonomics" before, but I think it captures something that online tool builders should strive for- designs that fit with the way people think.
Ergonomics is sometimes described as "fitting the system to the human," meaning that through informed decisions; equipment, tools, environments and tasks can be selected and designed to fit unique human abilities and limitations. Typical examples in the "physical ergonomics" arena include designing a lifting job to occur at or near waist height, selecting a tool shape that reduces awkward postures, and reducing unnecessary tasks and movements to increase production or reduce errors and waste. "Cognitive ergonomics," on the other hand, focuses on the fit between human cognitive abilities and limitations and the machine, task, environment, etc. Example cognitive ergonomics applications include designing a software interface to be "easy to use," designing a sign so that the majority of people will understand and act in the intended manner, designing an airplane cockpit or nuclear power plant control system so that the operators will not make catastrophic errors.
Unfortunately, that's not an easy task, but I believe that watching people use and talk about a product in their environment is about the closest you can get to hearing them think.
Via: Robin Good
Cognitive Ergonomics
Reading the blockquote and then the article I can't help wondering what is the difference between this and user-centered design?
Seems like a new name for something that designers who practise UCD already do (I write it that way because I know most "designers" do not use UCD). Much like your foray into CI.