Introduction · rubric · conclusion · teacher's guide
Engineers are ingenious · Engineers partially cause major accidents · Engineers cause error through design · People come in all sizes · People have expectations · People skills can be optimised · People have stereotypical reactions · Inclusion of ergonomics prevents human error · Ergonomics / safe design guidanceIntroduction
When you want to study a topic like human centred system design, it helps to have a few good questions in mind. The best kinds of questions are ones you really want to know the answer to. Sometimes this will be factual and you'll discover the right answer. Other times, your questions get to the heart of what makes a subject worth studying. Many people spend their lives studying and working in fields related to this topic. Now's your chance to join them!
Use the links below to explore the topic, your interests, and those important questions of yours. The Web will offer some unique resources that might not be available anywhere else so dig deep and see what you find. If you want some idea of what good exploring looks like, read the evaluation rubric.
Internet Links
Engineers are ingenious
- The Museum of Unworkable Devices
- This museum is a celebration of fascinating devices that don't work. It houses diverse examples of the perverse genius of inventors who refused to let their thinking be intimidated by the laws of nature, remaining optimistic in the face of repeated failures.
- How Stuff Works
- Ingenious engineers.
- Extreme Engineering
- A celebration of engineering potential.
Engineers partially cause major accidents
- Australian and International Incidents
- Look for the web links to a variety of incidents from all over the world with a special emphasis on human error as a major contributing factor.
- Victorian State Coroners Office - Findings
- Travel through the learning that we can take to all engineering projects. An opportunity to give a voice to the dead to protect the living.
- List of disasters
- From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Engineers cause error through design
- Seven deadly excuses for poor design
- A short article in which the author suggest seven deadly excuses for poor design. The context is software and web design but the ideas transfer well to all other types of design work.
- On line engineering ethics
- These brief cases present situations that raise ethical questions common in engineering practice and research.
- Disaster by Design
- Human errors account for a growing share of accidents and misfortune in our skies, waterways, workplaces, and hospitals. Structurally sound aircraft plummet to the earth, industrial machines run awry, and the instruments of medical science sometimes harm unsuspecting patients, all because of incompatibilities between the way things are designed and the way people perceive that they should be used.
- Bad Human Factors Design
- A collection of 'what not to do' in design.
People come in all sizes
- Soyus 11 chronology
- Soyuz 11 succeeded in completing the mission that Soyuz 10 had failed at - carrying cosmonauts to live on the world's first space station, Salyut 1. After a normal re-entry, the recovery team opened the capsule to find the crew dead. It quickly became apparent that they had asphyxiated.
- Special Commission - Inquiry into the Waterfall Rail Accident
- Chapter 13 of this report (Findings and Conclusions) is presented. Considered specifically issues of human error and the Deadman system.
- A reach-around mirror
- Did the designer actually intend for it to be used?
- Hard to open!
- What not to do when designing doors.
People have expectations
- Interfaces that Kill - John Denver story
- John Denver died in an aircraft that had already done its best to kill two previous pilots, an aircraft with a human interface flaw so fundamental, so profound, that it finally managed to kill.
- Ballot mistake - US Elections
- The US presidential election might have been decided by the poor design of ballot papers in one Florida county where voters are said to have been confused.
- An investigation of Therac-25 accidents
- Between June 1985 and January 1987, six known accidents involved massive overdoses by the Therac-25 -- with resultant deaths and serious injuries. They have been described as the worst series of radiation accidents in the 35-year history of medical accelerators.
- This phone's broken!
- How would YOU know how to work this phone?
People skills can be optimised
- Maximum occupancy not to exceed 182 persons
- Are you sure that you say what you mean!
- Please use sidewalks
- People will use ALL information sources.
- Longford findings
- In this coroner's case you should consider the organisational decisions on the outcome.
- Designing with the user
- A book review which highlights issues related to the social design of engineering systems.
People have stereotypical reactions
- An investigation of the Therac-25 accidents
- Between June 1985 and January 1987, six known accidents involved massive overdoses by the Therac-25 -- with resultant deaths and serious injuries. They have been described as the worst series of radiation accidents in the 35-year history of medical accelerators.
- Linton Wildfires
- In this coroner's case you should consider the effects of design on the ability of the fire fighters to protect themselves. The link between emergency actions and design.
- Staines Air Disaster
- Look for issues related to the emergency reactions of crew and follow the links to more information.
- Disaster by Design
- Revisit Steven Casey's speech for insights into this area.
Inclusion of ergonomics prevents human error
- What they didn't teach me in design and usability school
- This short essay proffers some reasons as to why coverage of this area is limited in design courses.
- Learning from disaster
- Check this out for some interesting perspectives.
Ergonomics / safe design guidance
- International Ergonomics Association
- Pay particular attention to the definition of ergonomics.
- US Department of Denfense Human Factors Guide
- A huge collection of design guides
- National Occupational Health & Safety Commission - Safe Design Resources
- Check out the various safe design resources and be sure to also check out many of the links to other resources
- Ergonomics Hotlist: Keys to successful design
- Lots of information to assist your understanding of ergonomics.
Conclusion
Because anyone can publish on the Web, it sometimes reflects the chaotic, uneven, sometimes confusing world around us. By exploring the Web, you've journeyed into real learning where you must judge between fact and opinion, bias and insight, importance and insignificance. We hope you've added to the wisdom carried around in that head of yours. If you want to check yourself, take a look at the evaluation rubric for this activity. Either way, remember that understanding isn't a destination, but a journey. Have a great trip!
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created by Yvonne Toft email: y.toft@cqu.edu.au http://web-and-flow.com/members/ytoft/ergoeng/hotlist.htm |