The Human Factor: Revolutionizing the Way We Live with Technology

by Kim Vicente

What links the frustrations of daily life, like VCR clocks and voicemail systems, to airplane crashes and a staggering “hidden epidemic” of medical error?Kim Vicente is a professor of human factors engineering at the University of Toronto and a consultant to NASA, Microsoft, Nortel Networks and many other organizations; he might also be described as a “technological anthropologist.” He spends his time in emergency rooms, airplane cockpits and nuclear power station control rooms--as well as in kitchens, garages and bathrooms--observing how people interact with technology.Kim Vicente sets out the disturbing pattern he’s from daily life to life-or-death situations, people are using technology that doesn’ t take the human factor into account. Technologies as diverse as stove tops, hospital work schedules and airline cockpit controls lead to ‘human error’ because they neglect what people are like physically, psychologically, and in more complex ways. The results range from inconvenience to tragic loss of life.Our civilization is at a we have to change our relationship with technology to bring an end to technology-induced death and destruction, and start to improve the lives of everyone on the planet. The Human Factor sets out the ways we can regain control of our lives.

Genres: Psychology

Kindle Edition

First published October 15, 2010

Reviews

[Dasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vicente's writing is clear and easy to follow. This book provides an interesting look into the world of Human Factors and what goes into designing products (or what fails to go into designing products) that are easy to use and built for the user's experience. Vicente, an expert in his field, provides so many tangible examples it will cause you to view the products you use differently and begin to ask questions around why items are designed the way they are.

[Geri Shabarkova · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were some interesting ideas and examples. However, all those references with the Adam Smith's "Invisible Hand" were too much and not at all appropriate in some cases. Overall, I do support the bottom line that technology should be created in a way, convenient and adequate for usage by humans, adjusted to our physical and psychological limitations. On the other hand, I wonder whether this will not lead to people becoming dull and lethargic, less creative, less inventive.

[Jerome · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great reminder to consider both the "traditional" design considerations and also take a broader view to also consider psychological and political factors.

[Floris Wolswijk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Human Factor; Revolutionizing the Way We Live with Technology by Kim Vicente is one of those books that excel at explaining something very difficult and technical in laymen terms. As our world grows more and more technically entangled Vicente looks at the way we can integrate technology and design. His book The Human Factor is a beautiful insight into the mechanisms behind the technological world. The book covers exciting (and dangerous) fields like nuclear installations, and also more accessible systems like cockpit designs, hospital machines and even the design of your stove. It is a book that will stay relevant for many years to come.

Technology is mostly designed by engineers and other technical staff. Push-buttons are put together on basis of the shortest distance between cables and are designed to the cheapest classifications possible. This is what Vicente (successfully) tries to counter. He argues that in a technological-driven world we should look at how we can use it, not at how it is made in the cheapest way possible. One excellent example is the redesign of the cockpit. At first all buttons were the same, and a pilot had to remember every function by heart. Nowadays it is much easier to fly a plane, every control has its own characteristics. The landing gear feels like wheels, the throttle is something you have to push forward, and all other functions have their distinct feeling.

Vicente does an excellent job in explaining that we need to look at the functionality of technology. Through design we can adjust technology to match with our mental capabilities. In critical situation it is important to incorporate double-checks. In a situation where there are lots of functionalities, each should be distinct from the others. Intuition is a vital part of how we deal with technology. This is reflected in the design of a stove; something that has yet to be implemented. Vicente states that we should lower the two right pitches just a little bit to validate that the controls are for top-left, bottom-left, top-right, bottom-right. The Human Factor emphasizes that technology should be designed to fit our thinking patterns, not the other way around.

Kim Vicente has been hailed by TIME magazine as one of the 25 Canadians under 40 who will reshape Canada. He is the Hunsaker Distinguished Visiting Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT and has been a consultant at NASA, NATO, Honeywell, and Microsoft, among others. His work in Human Factor Engineering has transformed the sector and has made the topic more accessible to the general public. The topics covered in The Human Factor range from toothbrushes to nuclear reactors, and enlighten the reader on all things related to Human Factors. It should be read the next time when convenient!