An Application of the Semantic Differential to Icon Design

1992 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 336-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rungtai Lin

Previous studies have indicated that the semantic differential was effective in evaluating comprehension of icons. However, the capability of semantic differential ratings depends on whether the underlying rating factors have been chosen properly. It is necessary to find out what cognitive factors affect the evaluation of an icon. Then, these factors can be used as the basis for semantic differential ratings on the proposed icons during the design stage. Most of the studies are focused on the evaluation after the design is completed. Very few have ever mentioned the approaches of icon evaluation at the design stage to ensure the design quality. Therefore, the purpose of this study is intended to derive and validate the cognitive factors that affect icon designs, and to provide designers with a tool having predictive information for evaluating and modifying the proposed icons at an early design stage.

Author(s):  
Lukman Irshad ◽  
Salman Ahmed ◽  
Onan Demirel ◽  
Irem Y. Tumer

Detection of potential failures and human error and their propagation over time at an early design stage will help prevent system failures and adverse accidents. Hence, there is a need for a failure analysis technique that will assess potential functional/component failures, human errors, and how they propagate to affect the system overall. Prior work has introduced FFIP (Functional Failure Identification and Propagation), which considers both human error and mechanical failures and their propagation at a system level at early design stages. However, it fails to consider the specific human actions (expected or unexpected) that contributed towards the human error. In this paper, we propose a method to expand FFIP to include human action/error propagation during failure analysis so a designer can address the human errors using human factors engineering principals at early design stages. To explore the capabilities of the proposed method, it is applied to a hold-up tank example and the results are coupled with Digital Human Modeling to demonstrate how designers can use these tools to make better design decisions before any design commitments are made.


2019 ◽  
Vol 2019 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wenting Liu ◽  
Qingliang Zeng ◽  
Lirong Wan ◽  
Chenglong Wang

It is important to allocate a reliability goal for the hydraulic excavator in the early design stage of the new system. There are some effective methods for setting reliability target and allocating its constituent subsystems in the field of aerospace, electric, vehicles, railways, or chemical system, but until now there is no effective method for the hydraulic excavator or engineering machinery. In this paper, an approach is proposed which combines with the conventional reliability allocation methods for setting reliability goals and allocating the subsystem and parts useful in the early design stage of the hydraulic excavator newly developed. It includes Weibull analysis method, modified Aeronautical Radio Inc. (ARINC) method, and modified systematic failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) method. After completing reliability allocation, it is necessary to organize the designers and experts to evaluate the rationality of the reliability target through FEMA analysis considering feasibility of the improvement technically for the part which was new developed or had fault in its predecessor. The proposed approach provides an easy methodology for allocate a practical reliability goal for the hydraulic excavator capturing the real life behavior of the product. It proposes a simple and unique way to capture the improvement of the subsystems or components of the hydraulic excavator. The proposed approach could be extended to consider other construction machinery equipment and have practicality value to research excellent mechanical product.


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