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 sector where aesthetic, emotion and impulse often drive the purchase decision. Utilitarian craft are typically procured via a tender process that can see success based on cheapest price and the promise of ability to meet the requirement specification detailed within the tender documents, neither of which guarantee a good design/product. It is relatively straightforward to specify performance criteria such as dimensions, speed, load capacity, etc. But it is far more difficult to provide quantitative human factors/ergonomic criteria. Utilitarian craft have a specific purpose and have features that reflect the requirements of its role. To achieve the required capability, human factors experts must work synchronously with the naval architects/designers to ensure that an optimum solution is achieved. A design that performs badly, and/or is difficult to maintain will get a poor reputation and there is a risk of increased maltreatment and neglect, thus leading to increased breakages and disrepair. A good design has the ability to generate pride and dedication to the operation and maintenance of the craft, thus enhancing the operators experience, performance and reliability. Therefore human centric design should be the cornerstone of utilitarian marine craft, not just relating to human factors and ergonomics but also recognizing the emotional and aesthetic design implications of enhancing the operators experience and thus improving performance and reliability.