HUMAN CENTRIC DESIGN FOR UTILITARIAN CRAFT

摘要

The procurement of utility craft for government and commercial operations is a different process to the leisure sectorwhere aesthetic, emotion and impulse often drive the purchase decision. Utilitarian craft are typically procured via atender process that can see success based on cheapest price and the promise of ability to meet the requirementspecification detailed within the tender documents, neither of which guarantee a good design/product. It is relativelystraightforward to specify performance criteria such as dimensions, speed, load capacity, etc. But it is far more difficultto provide quantitative human factors/ergonomic criteria. Utilitarian craft have a specific purpose and have features thatreflect the requirements of its role. To achieve the required capability, human factors experts must work synchronouslywith the naval architects/designers to ensure that an optimum solution is achieved. A design that performs badly, and/oris difficult to maintain will get a poor reputation and there is a risk of increased maltreatment and neglect, thus leading toincreased breakages and disrepair. A good design has the ability to generate pride and dedication to the operation andmaintenance of the craft, thus enhancing the operators experience, performance and reliability. Therefore human centricdesign should be the cornerstone of utilitarian marine craft, not just relating to human factors and ergonomics but alsorecognizing the emotional and aesthetic design implications of enhancing the operators experience and thus improvingperformance and reliability.