Ergonomics Blog

What's the most important thing in your kitchen? Some might say it is the refrigerator or stove. Others might say it's the blender. Those in the ergonomic know might even say the work triangle is the most important thing. But me, I'd say the most important thing is the toe kick.

Think about it. Without the toe kick your kitchen would be a nightmare to use.

DSfanboy has opened up a debate on the ergonomics of Nintendo's popular handheld gaming device. Even if you are not an avid DS gamer, you can learn a lot about handheld design by looking at what user's like and don't like.

I came across the wonderfully idiotic setup while trying to cross a newly revamped intersection leading to a new shopping development. Here's what's ergonomically bad. You've got a side walk. Then you've got some pretty flowers. And then there is the signal button that will let you safely cross the street. Unfortunately you need a machete to hack through the landscaping jungle to reach the button, but why would that be important?

Want more? You can learn good ergonomics through bad design.

Have you spotted a bad design or some terrible ergonomics? Share it in the bad design forum.

Packing up your kid for there trip back to school. Getting a good ergonomic back pack is important, but what is probably more important is making sure they wear and pack it properly. Here are some resources to help reacj that goal.

Backpack Resources for Children

• How to Properly Pack and Wear a Back Pack
• Before You Before You Buy a Child's Backpack
• Using Ergonomics to Determine the Best Book Bag for Your Child
• Fitting Guide for a Child's Backpack
• Maximum Weight for a Child's Backpack

Joba Chamberlain, a 22-year-old right-handed pitcher for the Yankees, was placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday with tendinitis of the rotator cuff in his pitching shoulder. He reported stiffness in his shoulder and was removed from an outing against Texas in the fifth inning. He'll undergo rest and some advanced treatment to relieve this repetitive stress injury before he starts pitching again.

"The beauty and necessity of good ergonomic design. I like that phrase. It comes fro an interview with Bryce Rutter the founder of ergonomic-design firm Metaphase Design Group.

If you are interested in what goes into designing a product for good ergonomic communication then the interview is worth the read.

Usernomics.com has a good article, Carpal Tunnel Culprits for Commuters. The article discusses a lot of causes of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome that you might not think about. Things like the ergonomics of your driving posture.

We all know high heels are terrible for your feet and body. Some new research shows that thong sandals aren't any better. So the worst shoe you can wear is the "high heeled thong".

Usernomics has a good article about recent research on both thongs and high heels at the American College of Sports Medicine's annual meeting this year.

I had an opportunity to observe some traditional Bhutanese weaving. The weavers sit in this position weaving 8-10 hours a day. If you ask them about how they sit they'll tell you that it is comfortable and they feel no pain. Meanwhile we're sitting in a thousand dollar ergonomic office chair for an hour complaining about back pain. Maybe we can learn something from this traditional setup.

Granted, the sitting position isn't ideal. After years of weaving a weaver might develop a roll to the shoulders or a hunch to the back. You also might have some circulation issues in your seat when sitting on a hard surface like that. But this setup has a lot of things right.

Look at how the weaving is kept taught. A brace on the low back pulls the weaving into position. It also acts as a pseudo-lumbar support. But the key is the legs. The weaver has to push against the base plate to keep the weaving taught. So the legs are constantly working and the weaver is using their strength. That is so much better than letting your body hang loose all the time. Using your strength is the key to a healthy posture.

An article out of the Deccan Herald, Help for those tingling fingers!, describes some new technology research that could significantly reduce repetitive stress injuries caused by computer and other technology use. It's interesting. We'll wait and see if it makes it to market.