The Design and Ergonomics Applied Research Group

The aim of the Design and Ergonomics Applied Research Group (DEarg) is to further the understanding, teaching and relevance of design and design-related ergonomics in the 21st century.

This will be achieved through bringing together staff and postgraduate students from across the School of Art and Design and other faculties where appropriate. The DEarg has the following objectives:

• To increase the profile of design and ergonomics within the University and outside
• To become an Applied Research Centre within the next two years
• To mutually support members of the group in their personal and professional objectives with respect to research
• To derive maximum use of computer based resources for teaching and research
• To support the Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) and the Health Design and Technology Institute (HDTI)
• To support staff with a secondary interest or involvement in ergonomics across the school
• To bring together different strands of ergonomics related work under one group
• To build a sustainable, evolving and innovative centre.

Research activity

Research activity is focussed in six pillars (or research areas), each having its own research leader and objectives. These are:

1. Transport – in all forms, including future transport scenarios, designs for differently abled and drivers, global markets, from concept through to detailed design
2. Design for health and well-being – including product development based on user needs, systems to support healthcare professionals and health literacy
3. Design pedagogy and educational ergonomics – developing best practice in design teaching and thinking and the design of educational environments
4. Integration of ergonomics and design – considering the way in which computer aided design (CAD) can lead to designs (and designers) based on an understanding of human factors
5. Health information – brings together those people within the Coventry School of Art and Design (CSAD) who are working on products, information artefacts, environments or processes which are health- or wellbeing- related
6. Boat Design - The purpose of the Boat Design Innovation Research Group (BDIRG) is to develop design innovation within a holistic approach to marine design

To support its research and consultancy activities the DEarg will draw on facilities in the CU-ADAM (Coventry University Advanced Modelling and Digitisation) laboratory, usability laboratory and associated workshops which include projection of full size vehicles on 15” and  40”stereoscopic displays, a haptic interface, milling machine (for full size vehicles), video conferencing, motion capture, rapid prototyping and software such as Alias, RAMSIS and JACK.