Workspace Envelopes in Design
Workspace envelope
A fixed 3D space where a user can comfortably and efficiently perform tasks, considering clearance and reach.
Key Considerations:
Reach: The distance a user can comfortably extend their arms or body to interact with objects.
- Functional Reach: The distance a user can extend their arms while maintaining a comfortable posture.
- Extended Reach: The maximum distance a user can reach, often requiring stretching or leaning.
Reach
The range that a person can stretch to touch or grasp an object from a specified
position.
In a car dashboard design, controls should be within the functional reach of the driver to ensure safety and ease of use.
Clearance: The space needed to accommodate a user's body, tools, or equipment without obstruction.
- Body Clearance: Space for the user's body, such as legroom under a desk.
- Tool Clearance: Space for tools or equipment, such as the swing of a door or the movement of a chair.
Clearance
The physical space between two objects.
Assuming reach and clearance are the same (reach = interaction, clearance = movement/freedom).
- Designers often overlook clearance for dynamic movements, such as bending or reaching.
- Always consider the full range of motion when designing a workspace.
Design Strategies to Modify Workspace Envelopes:
- Adjustability: The ability to modify the workspace to suit different users or tasks.
- Height Adjustment
- Angle Adjustment
- Distance Adjustment
- Range of Sizes: Designing for a variety of body sizes and shapes, often using percentile data.
This ergonomic workstation includes several features designed to ensure user comfort and efficiency, most notably the adjustable chair, desk, and monitor, as well as the placement of all essential objects within easy reach.
During the Industrial Revolution, workspaces were designed around machines, not people. There was no consideration for individual needs, leading to:
- repetitive strain,
- overreaching injuries,
- low efficiency
Ergonomics only became a focus in the 20th century to improve both safety and productivity.
Which of the following best describes the physical space required between two objects to ensure comfort or safety? (1 mark)
- Reach
- Percentile ranges
- Adjustability
- Clearance
Solution
1 mark for the correct answer: d - clearance
