Common Questions:

Q: Isn't Human Factors just common sense?

A: No. Otherwise why do people keep designing stuff that has horrible human factors?

A: A lot of human factors principles are very specific and way outside the realm of "common sense". Take Miller's Magic Number 7, and the reams of research into vision perception; this isn't stuff you pick up in elementary school.

A: Sometimes it is, but one of the downsides of designing by committee is that they frequently lose sight of common sense. We're the voice of reason.

A: If only sense were more common ;-) The result of human factors often feels to the user like "common sense" because it has been carefully designed to feel natural. It is very much like the difference between attending a party and hosting one.

Q: How is this going to help us, business wise?

50% of product returns are caused by complexity, not because the product does not work. Wouldn't it be nice to cut your current product returns in half? -Dave L

Q: Click edit page to add your own question!

What is Human Factors? (share your elevator speech)

Human Factors is the study of how humans interact with the world, and how we use things. We use data driven scientific research methods to figure out how people think, and use that to design products that are easier to use. -Dave L

(When asked how she explains HFE to skeptical family members) Basically we get paid to complain about how hard it is to use stuff. Then we get paid even more to fix it! -Alex, Queensland University

Experiences

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