An Ergonomics-oriented Product Development and Evaluation Process: A Case Study of Children's Pointing Device

Abstract

This study proposes a process for the development and evaluation of ergonomic-oriented products. This process comprises three phases: (1) establishing design requirements, (2) developing the design concept, and (3) ergonomic evaluation of the prototype. In the first phase, a comprehensive collection of existing devices is assembled from which a small number of representative products are selected. Usability testing of these devices enables the establishment of design requirements. In the second phase, rough sketching is used to develop conceptual designs, followed by 3-D modeling and the fabrication of mockups and functional prototypes. In the third phase, ergonomic evaluation of the prototype includes evaluation of participants, setting up experimental apparatus, outlining experimental procedures, and producing an evaluation report. A case study involving the design of a pointing device for children is provided to demonstrate the practical implementation of the product development process.