Week Five: Anthropometrics

         You experience anthropometrics everyday. When you reach for the green beans on the top shelf at the grocery, anthropometric data defined how tall that shelf would be based on the average reach of humans. When you sit down at your dining room table, anthropometric data told the designer of that piece of furniture how tall the table should be based on the average sitting height of humans. By defining anthropometrics, outlining the elements in anthropometric measurements, and finding examples in everyday life, you will begin to see the value in anthropometrics and its application in real world design. Then, the next time you sit at your desk or bake a cake, you will understand the importance of anthropometrics in design. After all, you wouldn't want to sit at a desk that is so tall your arms fall asleep while you type!

What is Anthropometrics?

Anthropometrics is "a science that is concerned with measurements of the human body; more specifically it is the science of body measurements and proportions of the human body is various activities" (Nussbaumer, 2014). While this is a technical definition of Anthropometrics, it encompasses the elements that make anthropometrics so important in design. 

What elements are involved in Anthropometrics?

To simplify this definition of anthropometrics, let's break it down. 

• Measurements of the body include the ones outlined in the image above. Some of the most common body measurements include height, arm reach, sitting height, eye height when standing, popliteal height (horizontal distance from your buttock to your foot when in a sitting position), weight, and vertical reach. 
• The second key element to anthropometrics is the relationship between body measurements and activities such as working, eating, and shopping.
• By combining body measurements and common activities, anthropometrics becomes more than a science; it becomes practical. 

How do we experience Anthropometrics in everyday life and design?

          Now that we have defined Anthropometrics and outlined what exactly is in included in the study of Anthropometrics, its real world application is both evident and valuable. Let's now find some examples of Anthropometrics that we experience, first hand, everyday. 

These kitchen counter tops are set at a standard height. When the contractor came to my home to install these countertops, he knew the height at which they should be set. This height is determined by human Anthropometrics. Think about it. If your countertops were inches higher or lower, your comfort and ease of use would be greatly effected.

Another example of Anthropometrics we encounter every day is found in the kitchen. These kitchen cabinets at my home are also set at a standard height. This height is determined by the average height and reach height of humans. The cabinets are located at a standard height for our comfort and ease of use. 

Most of us work. A lot of us work at a desk. While some desks and offices spaces might seem like no effort was put into the design, Anthropometrics is definitely there. The height of your chair, your desk, and items in your office on shelving are all developed according to Anthropometric measurements on your body such as your height, sitting height, and arm reach. Anthropometrics also directly plays into the ergonomics of furniture design, but we'll tackle that topic next week! Stay tuned!

        Julius Panero, in his book Human Dimension and Interior Space, states that "despite the variables involved, the interface between user and the designed interior environment must ensure a comfortable, safe, and efficient enjoyment of that environment." He goes on to say "work surface heights in a kitchen, office, or home workshop; allowances for seating around a dining or conference table; heights for shelving in an apartment or library; corridor widths in a home or public building -- all must reflect the human factor of body size." In these two short sentences, Panero sums up why Anthropometrics matters in the built environment and to us. Anthropometrics is utilized in most activities we do during the day. From cooking in the kitchen to working at our desks, without Anthropometrics, we would be both uncomfortable and unproductive. As designers, we work to make people comfortable in their built environments. In pursuit of this, Anthropometrics cannot be overlooked. 

Resources

Nussbaumer, L. L. (2014). Human Factors in the Built Environment. New York: Fairchild Books, An impring of Bloosbury Publishing Inc.

Human Dimension and Interior Space