We’ve all heard the word ‘ergonomics’, but how many of us have a firm grasp and solid understanding of what it means exactly? Here, we explain more about a principle of web UX (user experience) design: ergonomics, what it is and why it’s more important in 2017 than ever before.
Ergonomics is a discipline of science dealing with the effective design of workplaces, products and effective workflow we all, as humans, engage to design effective human interaction. What we mean by this is the kind of human interaction that is streamlined and geared towards effort and movement being useful. In turn, this reduces the effort and movement exerted due to unwanted or useless activity that causes fatigue and impinges on productivity and ultimately, a product’s desirability.
There’s no denying the credibility behind ergonomics - it’s a mature and proven science in relation to the industrial world. Its best applications can be showcased in:
- Well designed workplaces involving product assembly operations (particularly where mobile devices and electronics are involved)
- Larger scale garment manufacturing - gone are the days of manual stitching. Now, complex assembly operations handle stitching the many different pieces of a garment together, reducing workload and room for error
- Assembly lines in the car manufacturing industry
The basic principles of ergonomics are as relevant today as they were during the birth of the Industrial Age. Think about your average day - we bet it involves a decent amount of time interacting with a computer and in particular, User Interface of the computer e.g. a web page, email and word processing programs etc. Of course, this applies to both an office environment and in our homes. With many of us spending so much time in front of a computer, it’s only logical to utilise the proven principles of ergonomics in both web page and portal design. Why? Doing so, results in effective user interaction, improving the ease of use and the desirability of your web page/portal. This in turn, increases your chances of getting more web hits and ultimately, higher conversion rates.
So what do we mean by ease of use when talking about ergonomic web design? Here, we’re talking about consistency in relation to layout, placement and usability of necessary web controls in a standardised way. We’re all used to certain things so it benefits your web site/portal to implement familiar designs in terms of product catalogues, cart pages, check out pages, search functions, colour schemes, filters and so on.
Portals need to accommodate effective business processes in order for complex operations to take place, spanning right across the portal. The most effective eCommerce portals implement a comprehensive and effective work flow that enables its user to achieve their desired outcome (purchasing for instance), while also enabling your preferred outcome (making a sale, maximising your profits).
Many businesses are so intent on focusing on their customers, that they forget about the experience of internal customers and users. There’s no doubt the client is an important piece of the puzzle but it’s equally important to design an effective work flow for everyone involved in the entire chain.
The Woven team has extensive experience in user experience ergonomic web design and we have built these principles into our proven eCommerce platform. Our deep expertise in user experience (UX) design tailor made digital solutions that enhance user experience, while also achieving your desired outcomes. Our expertise lies in analysing complex business processes over a range of industries and transforming them into digital models and effective workflows.
Everything about the digital space excites us here at Woven. Especially the knowledge that the internet knows no limits. We really are spoilt for choice, especially when working with a team who can can help you to harness the best practices of User Experience Design.
From B2B to B2C solutions, the Woven team has provided numerous digital design solutions over the years. Contact us today to discuss your Digital Solution needs.
