Lesson video

Hi there, my name's Mr. Booth, and welcome to your lesson today on anthropometrics.

This lesson is from our "Ergonomic design" unit, where we are looking at designing accessible controllers.

And of course, if you are gonna design an accessible controller, a controller that can be used by as many people as possible, then we need to consider anthropometrics.

Today's outcome, by the end of today's lesson, I want you to be able to define anthropometrics.

I want you also to be able to use anthropometric data to inform your designs.

We've got three keywords today.

The first one, of course, is anthropometrics.

What is the definition of this? Well, it is, of course, anthropometrics is the measurement of people.

And by using this in design, we can design better, more accessible products.

As part of anthropometrics, we need to know about what is called a percentile.

Now, a percentile is one part of a data set after splitting the data set into 100 equal parts.

I'm sure you've done percentages in maths.

And then finally, we're doing all this because we want to look at inclusive design, about making products that as many people as possible can use.

And by using anthropometrics and ergonomics, we can make sure we do that with our designs.

There are three learning cycles today.

The first one is all about anthropometric data.

We're then gonna look at how anthropometric data can inform designs.

And then finally, using anthropometrics, how can we identify different user needs and then bring that into our designing? So, let's start with anthropometric data.

So, anthropometrics are the measurements of people.

And the word anthropometry comes from two Greek words, anthropos, which means human, and metron, which means measure.

Let's have a look at this word a bit closer.

So if we take anthropometrics, so anthropo, that means human.

And then metrics, I'm sure you can see the relationship between that because it comes from the Greek means measure.

And when designing products, anthropometric data of people are used.

Anthropometric data refers to the collection of information related to human body measurement.

And examples might include height, hand span, and arm span.

Can you think of any more? Pause the video now, have a little think, and see if you can think of other body measurements we might need when designing products.

You might wanna relate it to a product as well.

Pause the video, come back to me when you've got a few answers.

So I'm sure you've thought of lots.

I thought of another one.

For example, if I wanted to design a helmet, a crash helmet for somebody, I would need to know the measurement of the head, the circumference of the head.

That would be an important one.

I'm sure you got lots as well.

Another example is here, this mug.

So several measurements had to be taken to ensure the product was designed for safe and comfortable user interaction by the user.

So for example, the handle, we would have needed the finger width, we might have needed the finger length and also the thumb reach.

And all of these are really important to use the product, especially something that's gonna hold very hot liquids.

Now, I've had some mugs in the past that have been very uncomfortable to use, and I can assure you they didn't last very long in my kitchen.

Without these measurements, the user might not have been able to hold the handle or use the product properly.

Even worse, they may have injured themselves when trying to drink a hot drink.

So, quick check for understanding.

Anthropometrics are, A, the measurement of people, B, the measurement of a product, or C, the measurement of material.

Pause the video, have a go at this, come back to me when you've got an answer.

So if you answered that anthropometrics are the measurement of people, you got it correct, well done.

When gathering anthropometric data, it's essential to measure a diverse range of individuals.

This data should represent society by considering variations in gender, age, and ethnicity.

After collection, the data is organised and categorised.

This information is then readily available to designers to choose the appropriate data for whatever product they are creating.

And let's remember, it'll be different whether you're creating a chair or a mug, but you still need that anthropometric data to be representative of a wide range of society.

When the data has been collected, the results are sorted from smallest to largest and plotted on a graph.

In this example, we're gonna use the height of a range of people.

So what we're looking at is how tall people are.

Now, you can see this little graph looks slightly funny.

So, in the Y direction, we have the frequency of people, so the frequency of people for a certain height.

And in the X, we have the actual height of those people.

Now, when we plot this on the graph, you can see the data kind of collects towards the middle, doesn't it? And it kinda looks a bit like a bell, and we actually call this a bell curve.

Now, most values in the data set will cluster around the middle, and that's because that's the average, and then it'll reduce either side towards the high and the low extreme.

So you can see the people who are shorter, there is less of them at the bottom extremes.

And likewise, when you get the top extremes, the very tall people in this data set, there are less of them as well.

There are, of course, more people gonna be in the middle because of course, that's where the average is.

The tip of the bell curve, so that point at which it gets its tallest, that is the average value of this data set.

And this tells designers the average measurement of that data, and they can use that to their advantage when designing specific products.

Now, do you remember the term percentile that I introduced at the beginning in the keywords slide? Well, we can split the data that we've got into 100 equal parts, and this is called a percentile.

And there are three important percentiles to consider when interpreting anthropometric data, those being the 5th, the 50th, and the 95th percentiles.

And we need to keep a close eye on them when we're using anthropometric data and when designing products.

So as we know, that middle line that we can see there, the tip of that bell curve, that's the 50th percentile, which is the same as the average.

So, quick check for understanding.

What are the three important percentiles in anthropometric data when we're considering them for design? Is it the 5th, the 50th, and the 90th percentile, the 5th, the 75th, and the 95th percentile, or is it the 5th, the 50th, and the 95th percentile? Pause the video, have a go, come back to me when you've got your answer.

So if you answered C, the 5, the 50th, and the 95th percentile, you got it correct, well done.

Let's have a closer look at the 5th and the 95th percentiles.

So the 5th percentile tells us the smallest 5% of measurements, and that's there.

The 95th percentile tells us the largest 5% percent of measurements in the data set, which is of course there.

Now, if designers only considered the 50th percentile of data, that's the average, then the majority of users would be excluded.

So what designers try to do for a lot of products is use the data range from the 5th to the 95th percentile.

And that means 90% of users are considered, and if I actually put that on the graph there, you can see the majority of users are considered.

Quick check for understanding.

Which percentile represents the average sized user? Is it the 50th percentile, the 5th percentile, or the 95th percentile? Pause the video here, come back to me when you've got an answer.

It is, of course, the 50th percentile.

Congratulations if you got that right.

Now, when designing a doorframe, why would designers not consider height measurements over the 95th percentile? I want you to have a think about this, so pause the video and then come back to me when you think you have an answer.

So just let me just repeat that again.

So when designing a doorframe, a doorframe that you walk through, why would designers not consider height measurements over the 95th percentile? Pause the video, have a go, come back to me when you think you've got an answer.

So if you think about this, there'll be some very tall people over the 95th percentile.

It would be unrealistic to be able to design a doorframe for all users.

It would be really expensive.

Plus, we'd have to make our rooms even taller.

By considering everyone up to the 95th percentile, 95% of users could fit through the door, with only 5%, that top 5%, probably needing to duck to be able to go through.

But everyone below 95th percentile would be able to access that product and would be able to use it, so that's a pretty inclusive product, is a doorframe.

So now's let's start to think about the door handle.

Now, when designing a door handle, why would designers consider the 5th percentile? So now this is kind of like the lowest point, so that lowest line, okay? So from 5%, why would they consider that? Again, pause the video, have a little think about this, come back to me when you think you've got an answer.

So when designing the door handle, by considering the lower 5th percentile, it would ensure that 95% of users could reach the door handle.

Some users might need to reach down to operate the door handle, but the majority of the population would be able to use it.

So in this instance, we've kind of flipped the percentiles on their head, haven't we, and we're using the other side.

Some might need to reach up a bit, some might need to reach down a bit, but at least we're considering the entire population, the majority of the population, which of course is what designers need to do to make inclusive products.

So we're onto your first task now.

So for the products below, I want you to explain which percentile could have been used to design each product.

And those percentiles that you've got to choose from are the 5th, the 50th, and the 95th percentile.

The first product is a handrail in a public place for going up and down stairs.

The second product is a doorframe, which we've talked about.

And the final product is a game controller, which of course is what the context of this unit is all about.

So, have a go at that, pause the video, come back to me when you've got some answers, and I'll go through some of my answers.

Let's see how you got on.

So for A, this is for the bannister going up the stairs, I would say that the 5th percentile needs to be considered to ensure shorter people can comfortably reach and use it for support, especially that it's in a public place where you're going to get a diverse range of individuals.

For the doorframe, we've already talked about this, we're gonna consider the 95th percentile to ensure the majority of people can fit through the door without ducking.

And finally, for the games controller, I'm gonna say that it's gonna be the 50th percentile to ensure the average user can hold and use it comfortably.

How did you get on? I'm sure you got something close to mine or at least explained why you chose something else.

So we're now moving on to our next learning cycle, so this is anthropometrics informing designs.

Anthropometrics is not just about measurements; it also involves understanding how people interact with products, considering things like movement ranges, comfort, and accessibility to design items that fit a wide range of users.

So if we take movement ranges, can you think of any movement ranges you might use when interacting with products? So let me give you one example.

That would be, for example, like arm reach.

Can you think of any others? Pause the video, have a little think, come back to me when you got some examples.

So my examples would be arm reach.

That's the one I gave you.

So how far can you comfortably extend your arms? Really important if you're working at a desk, for example.

Foot rotation, the angle at which the feet naturally turn.

So if part of your job, it means you have to turn around from left to right whilst you're working, that's gonna be really important to design the station that you're working at.

We also have things like grip strength, and this is also the force needed to hold or use an object.

Really important for household items that you find in the kitchen.

And we've also got things like eye level, so the average height people look where they're standing or sitting.

The camera I'm talking to you right now is pretty much on the same eye level as me, so I can talk to you as if we are talking face to face.

So quick check for understanding.

True or false? Anthropometrics are just human measurements.

Pause the video, have a go at this, come back to me when you've got an answer.

This is of course false, but why? I want you to tell me why.

So again, pause the video, have a think about why, come back to me when you've got an answer.

Well, of course, it includes understanding how people interact with products, considering movement ranges, comfort, and also accessibility.

So when shopping for school uniform, you will always go and look for a specific size.

For example, the sizes might be in years, so 12 to 13 years, 13 to 14 years.

Now, if you are slightly bigger for your age, you might go for a slightly older age range, or if you're slightly smaller for age, you might go for a younger age range.

But needless to say, whichever shop you are going to, whichever store you're going to, you're probably gonna look for the similar labels.

And this is because all designers have used the same anthropometric data when designing the school uniforms. For the design of this hoodie below, a number of measurements have been taken to make sure it fits the user.

Now, before I give you some examples, again, I want you to think, what measurements would be needed of the human body to be able to design a hoodie that would fit well? Again, pause the video, have a little think, come up with some ideas, come back to me when you've got those ideas, and I'll go through some of my examples.

So in order for me to design this hoodie and make a successful product, I need to get the head circumference so they can actually get it on and think about whether how big the hood's gonna be, the arm span to make sure the sleeve's the right length, the arm length, of course, to make sure of that as well, shoulder and hip measurements, which is really important, hip, so the widths of the hip, which is important as well, and, of course, arm circumference.

So, quick check for understanding.

What anthropometric data would be needed to design a games controller? So again, pause the video, think about what we've just talked about, come up with some ideas, come back when you've got those, and I'll go through mine.

So my answers would be finger length.

Really important to know how far people can reach to make sure they can get those buttons.

Hand span, are you actually able to hold the controller? Is it gonna be comfortable to hold in your hand? We've also got thumb length to reach the two different types of joystick as well.

I think that would be quite an important measurement for me to be able to get to come up with a games controller.

I'm sure you came up with lots of ideas yourself, so well done with that.

Time for your second task, task B.

What I want you to do is measure your hand span.

So spread your fingers and thumb out as far as you can.

Measure the tip of the thumb to the tip of your finger, and write down your measurement in millimetres.

I then want you to collect the hand span data from nine other classmates.

You can do more if you want.

If you don't have any classmates, I'm gonna give you some data on the next slide that you can use.

I want you to then tell me what is the largest hand span, what is the smallest hand span, and what is the average hand span in your data set? Pause the video, have a go at this, come back to me when you've done all that.

So let's see how we got on then.

So, my hand span was 191 millimetres, so I've written that down in millimetres.

I've then put the rest of the measurements into a table, including my hand span.

I've then figured out who had the largest, that was 120 millimetres, the smallest hand span, 165 millimetres.

I then worked out the average.

I added all the data together and then divided by the number of pupils, which was 10, and that equaled 195.

5 millimetres.

Now, I've got some really useful data there.

If I was gonna be designing a product to be used interacting with the hands of the people in my data set, the people in my class, then I've got some really useful data.

I've got the largest, I've got the smallest, and I've got the average, and I could use that to design a product that would interact with as many users as possible.

Well done.

So we're now onto the final learning cycle, different users' needs.

It's really important we consider this when designing, especially when we're taking anthropometrics into consideration.

So inclusive design benefits all users, not just those with disabilities.

It aims to create products that as many users as possible can use.

Now, what I mean by that is think of a pavement ramp.

So of course, it probably is designed for people with wheelchairs or strollers with babies or anyone who finds it difficult to navigate stairs.

But actually, I find ramps really easy to use, so it can be used by most people and help people to move around more easily.

When designing products, it's hard to meet the needs of every user.

Almost impossible.

We simply can't do that.

We found that out when we talked about the doorframe, didn't we? There's no way we can design a doorframe for 100% of users in a data set, so we just go up to the 95 percentile.

But to make an inclusive product, we want as many people as possible to be able to use our products, and one way we can do that is by making our products adjustable.

So we've got some examples here.

A child seat is adjustable to ensure that they fit securely for every child.

And they tend to grow with the child, allowing it to get bigger, so you can take out cushions or extend the headrest.

Most of you probably own a helmet as well for when you're out on your bike or your scooter or your skateboard.

In the back of it, there probably is some kind of adjustable mechanism to make sure it fits snugly on your head.

And as you grow, you can increase the circumference of it, so it will fit multiple users.

Can you think of any more products? Pause the video, have a little think, I'll think of some too, and then come back to me when you've got some ideas.

Did you think of any other products that are adjustable? Well, I thought of my desk chair, and it's really useful because of course I can use it, but also my kids can use it as well and I can lower it so they can actually get on it as well.

But that is a really inclusive product that you could use as well.

I'm sure you thought of a really good example, so well done with that.

So, quick check for understanding.

Which images show inclusive design? You've got the helmet for A, you've got a stool at B, and you've got a car seat at C.

Pause the video, have a go, see how you get on.

So if you answered A and C, that's correct.

C is because it's actually adjustable.

So what happens when you put on a seatbelt is it pulls tight, which means that no matter what size you are, whether you're an adult or a child, it will pull tight around you to make sure you're nice and safe when you're travelling.

So when designing a product, it's important to consider factors that may mean someone cannot use the product.

So what you're trying to do is put yourselves in the shoes of those people and thinking why won't they be able to use this product? For example, a toothbrush with a very small handle might be difficult for people with arthritis or maybe the young who have limited dexterity to grip properly.

So to make it more inclusive, the handle could be designed with a larger, more ergonomic shape to accommodate users with limited hand strength or dexterity.

And actually, everyone would probably find that product far easier to use.

So another check for understanding.

What I want you to do is I want you to look at this product, so this is a kettle, and I want you to identify the inclusive features of this kettle.

Pause the video, identify some features, come back to me when you've got a few, and I'll share some of mine.

So let's have a look at some of mine.

So I said it's got a really ergonomic handle for ease of use.

Lots of different people will be able to grip that handle really easily.

It's almost the chunkiest part of the design, isn't it, to make sure you can get a really good hold.

It's got a clear body to see the water level, but also to see the water is boiled.

Now of course, you might have a hearing impairment.

You might not be able to hear it boiling or hear it click off, so by looking at it, seeing the bubbles in there, you can see that it's actually boiling.

It's also got an easy open lid for filling.

You can see it's got, again, a really chunky handle to be able to grab hold of really easily.

And finally, it's got a separate power base, easy for power connection, and it also means you don't have to disconnect that really annoying kettle lead, which is what we call them, out of the back when you take it to be refilled.

Now of course, that could have been designed for inclusivity to make sure people with limited dexterity could use it, but actually, I use a kettle just like this and it makes my life much easier, making it really inclusive.

So we're now onto task C.

So I'm gonna give you a scenario, and I want you to redesign a product to make it more inclusive.

So a user has limited strength in their fingers.

They can't fully extend them.

So this could be arthritis, or maybe it's, you know, a small child.

Using notes and sketches, describe what changes could be made to the game controller to make it easier for them to use.

Have a go at this, pause the video, come back to me when you've got some sketches and some ideas.

So my ideas are I think that there should be larger buttons, easier to press without needing full finger extensions.

I also think we should reduce the number of buttons to minimise the need for the user to move their finger between them.

Lots of games controllers actually do this.

I think there should be an ergonomic grip that provide more comfort and support in the user's hands.

We could do this by using a range of different textured polymers to be able to give that better grip.

I think we should have customizable buttons and layouts to allow for simpler and more accessible controls.

A lot of games controllers allow you to do this within the game.

You can access that and change which buttons do which action.

And then finally, what if we increased the button sensitivity, allowing the user to react with minimal force so we could react quicker so they could play the game.

All those things would make it more inclusive.

I'm sure you got some fantastic ideas as well, so well done with that.

So we've now come to the end of the lesson.

So let's have a quick summary about what we've learned today about anthropometrics.

So anthropometrics are the measurement of people.

It helps designers create products that fit people properly.

Anthropometrics are important to ensure that products are comfortable and easy to use.

There are three important percentiles to consider when interpreting anthropometric data, that being the 5th, the 50th, and the 95th percentiles.

Inclusive and adjustable designs make sure that as many users as possible can use the product.

You've been absolutely brilliant today.

Thank you for doing this lesson.

I'll see you all soon.