Human Factors in System Design, Development, and Testing describes engineering system design as a behavioral process, a process which raises questions the designer must answer. It focuses on the concepts underlying the design process, culminating in a behavioral theory of the design process. Special effort has been made to depict human facto
Computer programs and processes that take into account the goals and needs of the user meet with the greatest success, so it behooves software engineers to consider the human element inherent in every line of code they write. Human Factors in Software Development and Design brings together high quality research on the influence and impact of ordinary people on the software industry. With the goal of improving the quality and usability of computer technologies, this premier reference is intended for students and practitioners of software engineering as well as researchers, educators, and interested laymen.
An easy-to-use, in-depth manual, Human Factors Methods for Design supplies the how-tos for approaching and analyzing design problems and provides guidance for their solution. It draws together the basics of human behavior and physiology to provide a context for readers who are new to the field. The author brings in problem analysis, including test and evaluation methods and simple experimentation and recognizes the importance of cost-effectiveness. Finally, he emphasizes the need for good communication to get the new product understood and accepted. The author draws from his corporate experience as a research and development manager and his consulting practice in human factors and design.
In April 1991 BusinessWeek ran a cover story entitled, "I Can't Work This ?#!!@ Thing," about the difficulties many people have with consumer products, such as cell phones and VCRs. More than 15 years later, the situation is much the same-but at a very different level of scale. The disconnect between people and technology has had society-wide consequences in the large-scale system accidents from major human error, such as those at Three Mile Island and in Chernobyl. To prevent both the individually annoying and nationally significant consequences, human capabilities and needs must be considered early and throughout system design and development. One challenge for such consideration has been providing the background and data needed for the seamless integration of humans into the design process from various perspectives: human factors engineering, manpower, personnel, training, safety and health, and, in the military, habitability and survivability. This collection of development activities has come to be called human-system integration (HSI). Human-System Integration in the System Development Process reviews in detail more than 20 categories of HSI methods to provide invaluable guidance and information for system designers and developers.
Human factors measurement has characteristics that set it apart from psychological or engineering measurement and for that reason, human factors testing and evaluation deserves special treatment. The many excellent texts available in the behavioral area do not give an adequate picture of this topic, and this is particularly unfortunate because testing and evaluation (T&E) is an integral part of human-machine system design and operation. The emphasis in this book is on why and how to conduct such testing. One of its outstanding features is its pragmatism; based on his past experience in system testing, the author recognizes the difficulties that occur in testing and indicates how these may be overcome or minimized. Special attention has been paid to the context in which T&E is conducted. Although the book contains detailed procedures for performing T&E, the logic and the conceptual foundation of testing have not been overlooked. Comparisons are made with laboratory-centered experimentation. For those with research interests, the author points out the many research questions that can be answered by system testing. An illustrative case history of a T&E program for a fictional system has been included to provide ``real life'' context. Special problem areas in T&E are emphasized, in particular human error data collection, the evaluation of computerized systems and software, the measurement of maintenance technician and team performance; workload and training effectiveness testing. Special attention is also paid to environmental testing (e.g. temperature, lighting, noise, vibration, etc.). One chapter reviews all the relevant T&E literature including government documents that may not be readily available to the general reader. As part of the preparation for writing this text a survey was made of 45 distinguished T&E specialists in order to determine their characteristic T&E practices.The book will be useful not only to the human factors professional who specializes in T&E, but to all students and practitioners interested in human factors and work measurement.
A one-stop reference guide to design for safety principles and applications Design for Safety (DfSa) provides design engineers and engineering managers with a range of tools and techniques for incorporating safety into the design process for complex systems. It explains how to design for maximum safe conditions and minimum risk of accidents. The book covers safety design practices, which will result in improved safety, fewer accidents, and substantial savings in life cycle costs for producers and users. Readers who apply DfSa principles can expect to have a dramatic improvement in the ability to compete in global markets. They will also find a wealth of design practices not covered in typical engineering books—allowing them to think outside the box when developing safety requirements. Design Safety is already a high demand field due to its importance to system design and will be even more vital for engineers in multiple design disciplines as more systems become increasingly complex and liabilities increase. Therefore, risk mitigation methods to design systems with safety features are becoming more important. Designing systems for safety has been a high priority for many safety-critical systems—especially in the aerospace and military industries. However, with the expansion of technological innovations into other market places, industries that had not previously considered safety design requirements are now using the technology in applications. Design for Safety: Covers trending topics and the latest technologies Provides ten paradigms for managing and designing systems for safety and uses them as guiding themes throughout the book Logically defines the parameters and concepts, sets the safety program and requirements, covers basic methodologies, investigates lessons from history, and addresses specialty topics within the topic of Design for Safety (DfSa) Supplements other books in the series on Quality and Reliability Engineering Design for Safety is an ideal book for new and experienced engineers and managers who are involved with design, testing, and maintenance of safety critical applications. It is also helpful for advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students in engineering. Design for Safety is the second in a series of “Design for” books. Design for Reliability was the first in the series with more planned for the future.
There is no shortage of available human factors information, but until now there was no single guide on how to use this information. Human Factors Methods for Design: Making Systems Human-Centered is an in-depth field guide to solving human factors challenges in the development process. It provides design and human factors professionals, sys
The report describes three 4-hour tests developed to determine how human factors information is utilized by designers. It is assumed that greater knowledge of the design process will enable human factors (and other) specialists to communicate more adequately with design personnel and in particular will improve the characteristics of human engineering handbooks written for designers. An appendix to this report presents a theory of design activity in behavioral terms. The tests consist of a series of design problems to which designers must respond by developing conceptual sketches and answering questions concerning the manner in which they use available information. In the first type of test (Design Product Tests I and II) the subject is given system requirements and asked to lay out an equipment which will satisfy those requirements. In the second type of test (Design Input Test) the subject is given a series of design problems and asked what information he needs and how he would use that information to solve these problems. The difference between the tests is largely a matter of the approach taken; the Design Product Tests represent a longitudinal attack on the designer's behavior, since they cover all of the latter's activity from presentation of the problem to its resolution. The Design Input Test concentrates on individual aspects of the design problem and the designer's analysis of pertinent information. The tests are given individually.
In the United States, health care devices, technologies, and practices are rapidly moving into the home. The factors driving this migration include the costs of health care, the growing numbers of older adults, the increasing prevalence of chronic conditions and diseases and improved survival rates for people with those conditions and diseases, and a wide range of technological innovations. The health care that results varies considerably in its safety, effectiveness, and efficiency, as well as in its quality and cost. Health Care Comes Home reviews the state of current knowledge and practice about many aspects of health care in residential settings and explores the short- and long-term effects of emerging trends and technologies. By evaluating existing systems, the book identifies design problems and imbalances between technological system demands and the capabilities of users. Health Care Comes Home recommends critical steps to improve health care in the home. The book's recommendations cover the regulation of health care technologies, proper training and preparation for people who provide in-home care, and how existing housing can be modified and new accessible housing can be better designed for residential health care. The book also identifies knowledge gaps in the field and how these can be addressed through research and development initiatives. Health Care Comes Home lays the foundation for the integration of human health factors with the design and implementation of home health care devices, technologies, and practices. The book describes ways in which the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and federal housing agencies can collaborate to improve the quality of health care at home. It is also a valuable resource for residential health care providers and caregivers.
The purpose of PSS (Personnel subsystem) development is to provide the performance required of personnel in the system. The PSS developer must satisfy the system requirements for human performance and insure that the system is compatible with man's capabilities and limitations. The objective is to assure the availability of qualified military personnel concurrent with the availability of system hardware to the user. PSS processes and products support human performance for the system and must be evaluated in terms of their contribution to reliable and efficient human performance. Some of the areas of consideration are: the inter-relationship of functions performed by system people and system hardware, human engineering, personnel requirements, training and training equipment, life support, and test and evaluation. (Author).
