Does anyone have a rigorous reference or primer on computer ergonomics, or ergonomics in general? It’s hard to find a reference that says with authority/solid reasoning what good ergonomics are and why, and solutions to common problems.
I didn’t do a lot of thorough research, but maybe I simply don’t know how to.
I googled around for resources, which usually leads to… I don’t know how to describe this, but short-form articles which are not very information dense and mutually contradictory, and I looked for opinions on Reddit and for an FAQ-like thing on /r/Ergonomics, which also didn’t tell me much definitive except that a) people have a variety of problems due to their variety of body shapes and b) it is a normal thing to want a desk that’s significantly lower than most desks.
I must have done some amount of Claude-querying, but it’s intensive to figure out what the root problems are here and whether there are canonical solutions to them, possibly because of the fact that the resources Claude would most easily reference are the same inadequate ones I’ve just described. I bet that it’s possible to figure this out with Claude if I go slowly and specifically enough, though.
I don’t think I found anything even approaching a central resource which claims to be comprehensive (however opinionated). Something like what they have at /r/bodyweightfitness, for example, would be excellent by the standards described here.
“Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) is no longer limited to trained software users. Today people interact with various devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. How can such interaction be made more user friendly, even when user proficiency levels vary? This book explores methods for assessing the psychological complexity of computer-based tasks. It also presents methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis of exploratory activity during interaction with a computer.”
Assessment of the Ergonomic Quality of Hand-Held Tools and Computer Input Devices ”The International Ergonomics Association (IEA) is currently developing standards for Ergonomic Quality in Design (EQUID) which primarily intends to promote ergonomics principles and the adaptation of a process approach for the development of products, work systems and services. It is important to assess the ergonomic quality of products, hand-held tools and computer input devices through working processes that represent reality. Well-designed working tools can be expected to reduce or eliminate fatigue, discomfort, accidents and health problems and they can lead to improvements in productivity and quality. Furthermore, absenteeism, job turnover and training costs can positively be influenced by the working tools and the environment. Not all these short-term and long-term issues of working tools can be quantified in pragmatically oriented ergonomic research approaches. But multi-channel electromyography, which enables the measurement of the physiological costs of the muscles involved in handling tools during standardized working tests, and subjective assessments of experienced subjects enable a reliable insight in the essential ergonomic criteria of working tools and products. In this respect it is advantageous to provide a test procedure, in which working tests can be carried out alternating both with test objects and reference models.”
Does anyone have a rigorous reference or primer on computer ergonomics, or ergonomics in general? It’s hard to find a reference that says with authority/solid reasoning what good ergonomics are and why, and solutions to common problems.
I’d be interested in this myself. Where/how have you looked so far, and which resources have you found wanting so far?
I didn’t do a lot of thorough research, but maybe I simply don’t know how to.
I googled around for resources, which usually leads to… I don’t know how to describe this, but short-form articles which are not very information dense and mutually contradictory, and I looked for opinions on Reddit and for an FAQ-like thing on /r/Ergonomics, which also didn’t tell me much definitive except that a) people have a variety of problems due to their variety of body shapes and b) it is a normal thing to want a desk that’s significantly lower than most desks.
I must have done some amount of Claude-querying, but it’s intensive to figure out what the root problems are here and whether there are canonical solutions to them, possibly because of the fact that the resources Claude would most easily reference are the same inadequate ones I’ve just described. I bet that it’s possible to figure this out with Claude if I go slowly and specifically enough, though.
I don’t think I found anything even approaching a central resource which claims to be comprehensive (however opinionated). Something like what they have at /r/bodyweightfitness, for example, would be excellent by the standards described here.
These are the first things I found on the first search result page of GoodReads, do these suite?
Applying Systemic-Structural Activity Theory to Design of Human-Computer Interaction Systems
“Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) is no longer limited to trained software users. Today people interact with various devices such as mobile phones, tablets, and laptops. How can such interaction be made more user friendly, even when user proficiency levels vary? This book explores methods for assessing the psychological complexity of computer-based tasks. It also presents methods of qualitative and quantitative analysis of exploratory activity during interaction with a computer.”
Assessment of the Ergonomic Quality of Hand-Held Tools and Computer Input Devices
”The International Ergonomics Association (IEA) is currently developing standards for Ergonomic Quality in Design (EQUID) which primarily intends to promote ergonomics principles and the adaptation of a process approach for the development of products, work systems and services. It is important to assess the ergonomic quality of products, hand-held tools and computer input devices through working processes that represent reality. Well-designed working tools can be expected to reduce or eliminate fatigue, discomfort, accidents and health problems and they can lead to improvements in productivity and quality. Furthermore, absenteeism, job turnover and training costs can positively be influenced by the working tools and the environment. Not all these short-term and long-term issues of working tools can be quantified in pragmatically oriented ergonomic research approaches. But multi-channel electromyography, which enables the measurement of the physiological costs of the muscles involved in handling tools during standardized working tests, and subjective assessments of experienced subjects enable a reliable insight in the essential ergonomic criteria of working tools and products. In this respect it is advantageous to provide a test procedure, in which working tests can be carried out alternating both with test objects and reference models.”