Design, Development, & Production
StandardsStandards are accepted rules or norms, usually presented in documents or reports, intended for application in design to ensure that requirements are met. Typically, standards are backed by research and approved by large governing or regulatory groups. They are often written to promote universal and consistent implementations across all applications or, conversely, to promote adaptations for very specific subsets of users.
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What are Standards?
In general, standards are a set of accepted principles, specifications, and guidelines, derived from research findings, that are intended to assist in the product design process. In the realm of human factors, the primary purpose of standards is to ensure that product designs are consistent, easy to use, and accommodate the needs and requirements of all, or a specific subset of users. Standards can be written in terms of user characteristics (such as anthropometry, skill level, and perceptual ability), product/interface characteristics (such as required tasks, common abbreviations or symbols, and accepted interaction methods), and environmental characteristics (such as use cases and scenarios).
Standards are sourced from both government and non-government organizations, at the national, regional, and international levels, and exist for a wide variety of applications, including:
Standards are sourced from both government and non-government organizations, at the national, regional, and international levels, and exist for a wide variety of applications, including:
- Military technology (MIL)
- Aerospace technology (FAA and NASA)
- Universal accessibility (OSHA)
- Information visualizations and displays
Why Use Standards?
Standards often act as a form of quality control or to support compliance with legislative mandates. In some cases, designers/engineers are required to comply with standards for safety and security reasons (such as FAA and NASA standards). In other cases, standards are provided as voluntary rules. Referring and adhering to relevant standards within a product category, while not a guaranteed solution, is a good way to enhance the consistency, usability, and accessibility of a product. For example, following certain established metaphors for website navigation generally leads to increased usability because users are familiar with the metaphor, and thus require no training to use it.
When to Use Standards?
Standards are best utilized later in the design cycle but early in the development cycle to ensure that the requirements are adequately met and incorporated into the product. Trying to retroactively apply standards to a product is often a recipe for a lazy solution that may not be the most effective or usable for end users. Such lazy solutions are especially common when developing accessibility technologies for those with handicaps, in which an existing product is modified to accommodate a more limited set of users.
References & Resources:
- Astell, A., Alm, N., Gowans, G., Ellis, M., Dye, R., & Vaughan, P. (2009). Involving older people with dementia and their carers in designing computer based support systems: Some methodological considerations. Universal Access in the Information Society, 8, 49-58. doi: 10.1007/s10209-008-0129-9
- Stephanidis, C., & Savidis, A. (2001). Universal access in the information society: Methods, tools, and interaction technologies. Universal Access in the Information Society, 1, 40-55. doi: 10.1007/s102090100008
- Powlik, J. J., & Karshmer, A. I. (2002). When accessibility meets usability. Universal Access in the Information Society, 1, 217-222. doi: 10.1007/s10209-002-0020-z
- Rodrick, D., Karwowski, W., & Sherehiy, B. (2012). Chapter 55: Human Factors and Ergonomics Standards. Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics, Fourth Edition Gavriel Salvendy (Ed.) John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
http://www.hfes.org/Web/Standards/standards.html
https://www.hf.faa.gov/Workbenchtools/default.aspx?rPage=ToolList&subCatID=17
http://www.iso.org/iso/home/standards.htm
http://www.ihs.com/products/industry-standards/organizations/dod/index.aspx
https://standards.nasa.gov/
https://www.osha.gov/law-regs.html
http://ansi.org/