Considerations for Effective User Research in Design
How can businesses improve consumer product design while reducing human injury potential and frequency?
Every consumer product design begins with an intended use, but when human capabilities and limitations enter the picture, the potential for human injury is also introduced. Exponent's engineers and scientists have extensive expertise evaluating hazards associated with the use and misuse of a wide array of products.
Understanding how various injuries occur can involve activities such as examining cognitive, attention, and perceptual safety factors, and reviewing product warnings. Our experts leverage data from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System and the Consumer Product Safety Commission, as well as knowledge of scientific and technical literature to identify hazard patterns. Additionally, we develop and conduct tests with human volunteers and on anthropomorphic test devices to assess product usage and injury potential.
Services
For 50+ years, we’ve thrived on solving unstructured problems that require bespoke solutions. Some of our services include:
• Evaluate product warning and safety communications
• Analyze the interaction between users and consumer products
• Assess the role of various design features of a product
• Evaluate the implications associated with changes in product design
• Identify potential hazards and hazard patterns from databases
• Develop and perform tests with human volunteers and anthropomorphic test devices
• Evaluate injuries to children and address use, misuse, and age appropriateness of products
Our Capabilities Are Unparalleled
With expertise in over 90 disciplines and hundreds of capabilities, tools, and methodologies — we get to the root of even the most complex challenges and give you the objective answers you need.
Accident Investigation & Reconstruction: Human Factors
Multidisciplinary accident reconstruction to identify root causes, reduce risk, and improve safety.
Improve User Research & Testing
Human factors investigations for data-driven product and process design decisions.
Occupational & Process Safety
Expert consulting support for mitigating human behavior-related work and process safety risks.
Product Design & Safety
Human factors and risk analyses to help clients improve designs for a range of products.
Centers for Scientific User Research (CSUR)
Pioneering scientific user experience research across the full lifecycle of consumer, industrial, automotive, and medical device products.
Experts
Our global and comprehensive expertise across industries gives us a deep understanding of current challenges, best industry practices, and the implications of emerging technologies.
Corporate Vice President, Practice Director and Principal Scientist
Insights
