We conduct research in the application of rigorous design methodologies
to the design of artifacts and environments for people.
to the design of artifacts and environments for people.
Designing for Human Variability is offered again for the Fall 2009 semester. Students learn the principles of how to incorporate an understanding of variability in human size, capability, and preference into the design of products and environments. It is a unique opportunity to explore material from engineering, statistics, biomechanics, disability and aging research, and business in the context of design problems.
myAnthro - Basic is available in the Apple iTunes App Store. myAnthro is an iPhone app created by Dr. Parkinson for easily determining body dimensions derived from proportionality constants, a design tool employed in the Open Design Lab. Find more information by visiting Dr. Parkinson's myAnthro page.
NSF Career Award Prof. Matt Parkinson received the National Science Foundation's award for early career development. His proposal, Foundations for Designing for Human Variability, will be funded from 2009-2014. This work will enable the improved design of products, tasks, and environments, making them more accessible, accommodating, and effective for populations that are increasingly diverse.Featured Recent Publication
Baranak, A. S. (2009). Utilizing traditional packing methodologies to examine human variability design problems. Undergraduate Honors Thesis.
People interact with many different spaces on a daily basis: subway cars, offices, restaurants, and classrooms are examples of just some of these. However, these spaces and products that are meant to make lives more comfortable and efficient often do just the opposite. This thesis utilizes packing problems more common to operational research and industrial shipping applications to examine design situations that directly effect human usability and accommodation. Packing problems will be [ read more ]