Our approach to human factors
Traditionally, designs for the workplace have been developed focusing on the physical needs and interactions of the worker - a good design was an efficient design. More recently, we have seen a shift towards the psychological and cognitive aspects. This holistic approach, where the entire user experience is considered, is known as the Human Factors Discipline.
Read on to explore how human factors affects the workplace, and how we design our products with the user's experience at the centre.
Furniture - Designed for you
When we design furniture, we look closely at human needs, particularly within the context of day-to-day activities that take place.
Our goal is to make furniture that provides a positive experience for every user. Be it in the workplace or the home, we make sure that everyone can understand the benefits of our designs, and can clearly see how they are intended to be used.
To achieve that goal we have identified four key criteria that we consider in all of our designs.
Movement & Support
Movement and variation are so important when it comes to everyones wellbeing. Our solutions are either designed for movement or invite the user to move and change postures regularly. However, there is a critical relation between stability and movement.
When designing, we consider the users’ need to feel safe to be able to move on or with the product. If the feeling of stability is challenged, the body will react by fixating its position to regain control.
Movement and variation are so important when it comes to everyones wellbeing. Our solutions are either designed for movement or invite the user to move and change postures regularly. However, there is a critical relation between stability and movement.
When designing, we consider the users’ need to feel safe to be able to move on or with the product. If the feeling of stability is challenged, the body will react by fixating its position to regain control.

Comfort
The most noticeable thing for anyone using a piece of furniture is how comfortable it is. Measuring what comfort actually is, is a little more tricky. We focus on three aspects of comfort in all our designs, one following the other in the users’ journey of experiencing a product.
• Visual comfort - What we see with our eyes primes our minds on what to expect; our expectations influence our experience of comfort.
• Initial comfort - How does it feel upon first contact? Tactile sensations and degree of softness are evaluated at this stage. We make sure our chair’s settings are highly intuitive to create memorable first impressions.
• Lasting comfort - How does it feel after a day, a week, a year? With most of our products designed to last a minimum of 10 years, we optimise every component for long term usage, with an understanding that comfort can influence posture and behaviour too.
The most noticeable thing for anyone using a piece of furniture is how comfortable it is. Measuring what comfort actually is, is a little more tricky. We focus on three aspects of comfort in all our designs, one following the other in the users’ journey of experiencing a product.
• Visual comfort - What we see with our eyes primes our minds on what to expect; our expectations influence our experience of comfort.
• Initial comfort - How does it feel upon first contact? Tactile sensations and degree of softness are evaluated at this stage. We make sure our chair’s settings are highly...

Usability
Not understanding how something works is frustrating. We work hard to make all of our designs intuitive, and provide simple instructional guides to make sure that any potential problems are met head on.
We see five key areas to address in order to provide a positive user experience
• Intuitive design - Effortless understanding of the architecture and operation of the product
•Ease of learning - How fast a new user can grasp the basic functions
•Efficiency of use - How fast an experienced user can accomplish actions or tasks
• Memorability - Can you remember enough to use the product effectively in the future?
•Subjective satisfaction - Is using the product enjoyable?
Not understanding how something works is frustrating. We work hard to make all of our designs intuitive, and provide simple instructional guides to make sure that any potential problems are met head on.
We see five key areas to address in order to provide a positive user experience
• Intuitive design - Effortless understanding of the architecture and operation of the product
•Ease of learning - How fast a new user can grasp the basic...

Inclusive Design
Inclusive design means a lot of things, but at its core, it means designing products that can be adapted, adjusted or specified for all kinds of people. Physical size, age and special needs are all considered, and we ensure that each user group can not only use our designs, but can understand and enjoy them too.
In short: we design products that positively affect all people that are in touch with them, in one way or another.
Inclusive design means a lot of things, but at its core, it means designing products that can be adapted, adjusted or specified for all kinds of people. Physical size, age and special needs are all considered, and we ensure that each user group can not only use our designs, but can understand and enjoy them too.
In short: we design products that positively affect all people that are in touch with them, in one way or another.
![RH_Mereo_family_models_6[ppt]](https://www.flokk.com/hubfs/social-suggested-images/RH_Mereo_family_models_6%5Bppt%5D.jpg)
The birth of Human Factors
A definition
The core characteristics of Human Factors were defined by Dul et al (2012)¹. He describes the Human Factors Discipline as:
• Design driven
• Following a system approach where humans are part of the system.
• Focusing on a dual outcome of wellbeing and (system) performance