What are the best ergonomic design strategies for users with different levels of education and literacy?

1 Define the target users

The first step in ergonomic design is to define the target users and their characteristics, goals, and contexts. This will help you understand their needs, expectations, and limitations, and how they affect their interaction with the product. For example, you should consider the users' age, gender, culture, language, education, literacy, disability, and familiarity with the product or similar products. You can use various methods to gather user data, such as surveys, interviews, personas, scenarios, and user journeys.

2 Simplify the content and layout

The second step in ergonomic design is to simplify the content and layout of the product, so that it is easy to read, understand, and use for the users. This means using clear and concise language, avoiding jargon, acronyms, and technical terms, and providing definitions or explanations when necessary. It also means using appropriate fonts, sizes, colors, and contrasts, and avoiding clutter, distractions, and visual noise. Additionally, you should use headings, subheadings, bullet points, icons, images, and diagrams to organize and illustrate the content, and provide feedback, instructions, and help when needed.

3 Optimize the interaction and navigation

The third step in ergonomic design is to optimize the interaction and navigation of the product, so that it is intuitive, consistent, and predictable for the users. This means using familiar and standard conventions, such as buttons, menus, tabs, sliders, and checkboxes, and ensuring that they are visible, accessible, and responsive. It also means using labels, tooltips, cues, and affordances to indicate the function and state of the elements, and providing clear and logical paths and transitions between them. Furthermore, you should allow the users to control the pace and flow of the interaction, and provide undo, redo, cancel, and exit options.

5 Test and evaluate the design

The fifth step in ergonomic design is to test and evaluate the design with the users, and measure its usability, effectiveness, and satisfaction. This means conducting user research and testing methods, such as usability testing, heuristic evaluation, cognitive walkthrough, eye tracking, and biometric analysis, to observe and analyze the user's behavior, performance, and feedback. It also means identifying and prioritizing the issues, problems, and opportunities for improvement, and iterating the design based on the findings and recommendations.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?