The search for new ways of fostering healthy lifestyles within our homes is one of the most complex challenges facing the manufacturers of electrical household appliances, or white goods. Such companies are steering their work towards the promotion of new trends within the framework of sustainability, interaction and energy efficiency. The spread of ICT enables the creation of communication systems that connect the domestic appliances to the users and to other appliances, thus enabling the development of new systems of interaction. This is the area of research in which the work presented here is inserted, illustrating the initial results of the POR CReO-FP7 “High Chest” project developed with Whirlpool Europe S.r.l. Manufacturers generally consider the chest freezer as a commodity, in other words a product that performs its functions but does not feature any particular characterisations connected with the producer company. Consequently, to date aspects such as competitive price and profit margin have been given priority over technological innovation and performance. The aim of the High Chest project was to develop a new family of chest freezers that would be innovative in terms of environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and the promotion of eco-efficient behaviour guided by good design. This contribution is focused on ergonomics and design, and more specifically on the user-centred design (UCD) approach and its methods of usability and safety evaluation. “Design is seen as a way of identifying and solving user problems [...]. User-centred design innovation stresses human needs, aspirations and abilities, and strives for holistic and visionary solutions”1. In order to foster eco-efficient behaviour and improve the use of the chest freezer, the characteristics and needs of the users were examined in relation to different profiles in terms of age, habits, capacities, limitations, physical size and the capacity for movement. Expert evaluation methods and methods based on the direct involvement of the users were applied for the definition and development of a new product.
User Centred Design for eco-efficient behaviors in home appliances’ industry / Lotti, Giuseppe; Tosi, Francesca; Brischetto, Alessia; Bruni, Irene. - ELETTRONICO. - (2015), pp. 0-0. (Intervento presentato al convegno Reaching out, Proceedings of the 19th Triennial Congress of the International Ergonomics Association tenutosi a Melbourne, Australia nel 9-14 August, 2015).
User Centred Design for eco-efficient behaviors in home appliances’ industry
LOTTI, GIUSEPPE;TOSI, FRANCESCA;BRISCHETTO, ALESSIA;BRUNI, IRENE
2015
Abstract
The search for new ways of fostering healthy lifestyles within our homes is one of the most complex challenges facing the manufacturers of electrical household appliances, or white goods. Such companies are steering their work towards the promotion of new trends within the framework of sustainability, interaction and energy efficiency. The spread of ICT enables the creation of communication systems that connect the domestic appliances to the users and to other appliances, thus enabling the development of new systems of interaction. This is the area of research in which the work presented here is inserted, illustrating the initial results of the POR CReO-FP7 “High Chest” project developed with Whirlpool Europe S.r.l. Manufacturers generally consider the chest freezer as a commodity, in other words a product that performs its functions but does not feature any particular characterisations connected with the producer company. Consequently, to date aspects such as competitive price and profit margin have been given priority over technological innovation and performance. The aim of the High Chest project was to develop a new family of chest freezers that would be innovative in terms of environmental sustainability, energy efficiency and the promotion of eco-efficient behaviour guided by good design. This contribution is focused on ergonomics and design, and more specifically on the user-centred design (UCD) approach and its methods of usability and safety evaluation. “Design is seen as a way of identifying and solving user problems [...]. User-centred design innovation stresses human needs, aspirations and abilities, and strives for holistic and visionary solutions”1. In order to foster eco-efficient behaviour and improve the use of the chest freezer, the characteristics and needs of the users were examined in relation to different profiles in terms of age, habits, capacities, limitations, physical size and the capacity for movement. Expert evaluation methods and methods based on the direct involvement of the users were applied for the definition and development of a new product.
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