DEA 3250 Homework 1

Ergonomics and Display Design


For this homework you need to find TWO examples of "good" visual information display design, and TWO examples of "bad" visual information display design. For each example you should name the display and clearly label whether you think this is good or bad. You also need to provide the following information:

  1. What type of visual display, in human factors terms, is being evaluated?
  2. What is the function of the visual display?
  3. Where is the visual display located/positioned? 
  4. What are the environmental considerations?
  5. What are the good and/or bad features of the visual display from a human factors viewpoint?
  6. A copy of the display (either photographs, slides or drawings of the display).
  7. Recommendations for improving the design of the bad displays, and suggestions even for the good displays if required.
You should present your ergonomic analysis by referring to the principles of visual display design that are relevant to the type of visual display that you are evaluating. (You should refer to material in chapters 4 and 5 of the course text and/or that presented in class. Also, you can refer to any other relevant texts/reports/papers as well).

You should write no more than two pages per display describing the above for each of the four displays you have chosen (maximum of 8 pages in total). Your evaluation should make reference to human factors design principles and show how these are violated, in the case of bad design, and how these are followed, in the case of good design. Drawings, or photographs, or slides of the displays you evaluate should be presented as an appendix to your report.

Your homework should be typed. This homework is worth 10% of your course grade.

Deadline: You should hand your homework in at the end of class on 9/30/08.