UX vs. Ergonomics – Definition and difference

UX has not only become a dictum in the field of medical design. The fashion term is the subject of countless articles and job titles in various industries. Despite the sometimes inflationary use of the term user experience, the term is unclear to many of its users in terms of its definition, meaning and, above all, the difference to other, similarly used terms. UX is often used synonymously with "usability" and "ergonomics", although completely different concepts are behind these names. For this reason, it is worth examining the various technical terms more closely and asking: What exactly is the difference beween UX vs. ergonomics? The relevance of this question results from the enormous importance of UX in the field of medical design.

Der Begriff Ergonomie bezeichnet die Wissenschaft von der Gesetz- und Regelmäßigkeit menschlicher sowie automatisierter Arbeit. Ihr Ziel ist es, die jeweiligen Arbeitsbedingungen und -abläufe - also die Anordnung der zu nutzenden Geräte und Gegenstände - räumlich und zeitlich zu optimieren. Durch die Verbesserung etwaiger Arbeitsprozesse sollen Ermüdungserscheinungen oder gar Verletzungen der Endnutzer minimiert werden. Die stetige Verbesserung der Benutzerfreundlichkeit folgt dem Ziel, langfristig bessere Arbeitsbedingungen zu schaffen.
Die Grundlage der Ergonomie besteht zunächst in recht anthropologischen Beobachtungen. Menschen unterschiedlicher Kulturen und Ethnien weisen naturgemäß teils erhebliche physiologische Unterschiede auf. Verschiedene Körpereigenschaften und Merkmalsausprägungen lassen sich quer über den Globus statistisch erfassen und empirisch belegen.
Zur Zeit des Nationalsozialismus haben die Praktiken und Erkenntnisse der Ergonomie genau wie viele andere Teile der Wissenschaft, Jurisprudenz und Moral eine ungeahnte Perversion erfahren. So wurden die statistisch gewonnen physiologischen Merkmale dazu genutzt, die menschenfeindliche ‚Rassenlehre‘ des NS-Regimes ‚wissenschaftlich‘ zu legitimieren. Sämtliche Ethnizitäten und Religionsgemeinschaften wurden klassifiziert und anhand äußerer Merkmale typologisiert. Die Ergonomie als Wissenschaft wurde mithin dafür missbraucht, eine nicht rechtfertigbare Weltanschauung zumindest scheinbar empirisch zu belegen.
Nach Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges diente Ergonomie fortan der Entwicklung verschiedener Produkte, darunter auch im Bereich des Medizintechnik Designs, unter Berücksichtigung physiologischer Eigenschaften. Der Grundgedanke der Ergonomie lässt sich mithin durch einen recht profanen Gedanken erläutern: Die Menschen sind unterschiedlich beschaffen und dieser Diversität haben die Produkte zu folgen.

The term ergonomics refers to the science of the regularity of human and automated work. Their goal is to optimize the respective working conditions and processes - i.e. the arrangement of the devices and objects to be used - in terms of space and time. By improving any work processes, signs of fatigue or even injuries to end users should be minimized. The constant improvement in user-friendliness follows the goal of creating better working conditions in the long term.

Ergonomics is initially based on quite anthropological observations. People from different cultures and ethnic groups naturally have some significant physiological differences. Various body characteristics can be statistically recorded and empirically verified across the globe. During the National Socialist period, the practices and knowledge of ergonomics, like many other parts of science, jurisprudence and morality, experienced an unimagined perversion. The statistically obtained physiological characteristics were used to 'scientifically' legitimize the misanthropic 'racial doctrine' of the Nazi regime. All ethnicities and religious communities were classified and typologized on the basis of external characteristics. Ergonomics as a science was therefore misused to at least apparently empirically prove an unjustifiable world view.

After the end of the Second World War, ergonomics was used from then on in the development of various products, including in the field of medical technology design, taking physiological properties into account. The basic idea of ​​ergonomics can therefore be explained by a rather profane thought: People are made differently and the products have to follow this diversity.

So what exactly is the difference between ergonomics and usability? Above all, usability means the usability of the respective product. More specifically, this means the extent to which a particular product or service is tailored to its users. This also means that "good" usability is usually not noticed at all, since it is used so smoothly.

Where is the advantage of UX vs. ergonomics? To a certain extent, the user experience expands the concepts of ergonomics and usability by some central aspects: On the one hand, aesthetic and superficial factors such as an appealing and easily understandable presentation are increasingly taken into account. Even more, however, the "joy of use" is in the foreground, i.e. the fun of the user when using the product. In the best case, the products are self-explanatory and can be used intuitively. The general improvement in UX can be illustrated by the development of various mobile phone applications. Most apps these days do not require any user manual at all and can be used intuitively.

A lot has also happened in the development of medical products. While working on ergonomics was still geared towards feedback loops, UX is now inductive. Before the product is designed, the designers and engineers observe the relevant work processes for months in advance. Since the feedback in the medical field is generally rather sparse, valuable insights are gained that help in the development and optimization of the product. These insights are the drivers for groundbreaking innovations. In a way, customer feedback comes before UX vs. ergonomics. This procedure in turn ensures that the already lengthy development process is shortened. This way, the developers hope that they will not have to make any or at least fewer adjustments afterwards and will thus be able to bring their product to market faster. UX vs. ergonomics therefore offers advantages in terms of time and development in the medical field.

Die UX vs. Ergonomie bietet auch bei Verpackungen durch eine effiziente Beschriftung und ein ansprechendes Corporate Product Design enorme Vorteile. Durch dienliche Etikettierung können so Anwendungsfehler und finanzielle Schäden präventiv vermieden werden. Gerade im Zuge der Globalisierung ergeben sich für die UX vs. Ergonomie hierbei neue Möglichkeiten, aber auch Herausforderungen.
So haben wir von Held + Team bereits ein Konzept für pharmazeutische Verpackungen entwickelt, die weltweit (!) angewendet und benutzt werden können. An dieser Stelle sei gesagt, dass es sich hierbei um ein absurd schweres Verfahren handelt, wenn man die Vielzahl an Sprachen, Kulturen und Ambiguität in Bezug auf die Bedeutung verschiedener Symbole beachtet. Dieses internationale Vorgehen treibt die UX vs. Ergonomie voran und ist gleichsam auch notwendig in einer zunehmend globalisierten Welt.
Bei weiteren Fragen zum Thema UX vs. Ergonomie dürfen Sie gerne jederzeit Kontakt zu uns aufnehmen. Wir freuen uns auf Ihre Anfrage!

UX vs. ergonomics also offers enormous advantages for packaging through efficient labeling and an appealing corporate product design. Helpful labeling can be used to prevent application errors and financial damage. Especially in the course of globalization, there are new possibilities for UX vs. ergonomics, but also challenges. We at Held+Team have already developed a concept for pharmaceutical packaging that can be applied and used worldwide (!). Suffice it to say that this is an absurdly difficult process given the variety of languages, cultures and ambiguity surrounding the meaning of various symbols. This international approach drives UX vs. ergonomics forward and is also necessary in an increasingly globalized world.

If you have any further questions on the subject of UX vs. ergonomics, please feel free to contact us at any time. We look forward to your inquiry!