General Poster: Package Opening

Scientific Poster: Using Biomechanics

Web link: An interview with Dr Ben Stansfield

Biomechanical research is producing valuable data relating to the strength and mobility of the older generation and how they interact with products such as consumer packaging. However, the existence of this data is frequently not apparent in their design. There are thought to be a number of reasons for this including:- designers are not aware that the data exists, the data is presented in a format that designers find difficult to understand and use, and data produced from biomechanical testing does not match the requirements of product designers. The ultimate aim of this research is to facilitate both product designers and bioengineers by ensuring that biomechanical tests match the requirements of product designers and that the resulting data is presented in a meaningful and useable format.

Interface Design

Many older people use computers to access the internet. Many more would like to do so, but have difficulty navigating the information provided on a screen. Understanding how older people use computers, structure information and browse the internet are essential to developing better interfaces. This is a principal aim of the SPARC projects. So too is the development of practical recommendations for systems designers.

Dr Avril Thomson, Strathclyde University
12 months, £56,587