Basis of Design Criticism: Logitech mouse

       In the field of design, every designer should know what the word ergonomic means, because it plays an important role in designers producing good designs. Etymologically, the word ergonomic originated from Greek and can be broken into two parts, “ergo”, meaning works and “nomos”, meaning law, so together they mean the science of work. According to International Ergonomic Association, it defines ergonomic as “The scientific discipline concerned with the understanding of interactions among humans and other elements of a system, and the profession that applies theory, principles, data and methods to design in order to optimize human well-being and overall system performance.” To briefly explain this statement, it states that ergonomic literally means the idea of applying science to make things comfy and efficient. In addition, ergonomic designs are consisted of five elements, which are safety, comfort, usability, performance (productive), and aesthetics.

Image source: Amazon.com

Image source: Amazon.com

     This Logitech computer mouse above is an object that I use on a daily basis; it is considered a great ergonomic designs. To illustrate, computer mouse is designed to reduce stress on the computer users who work for long hours, In this case, an ergonomic computer mouse is useful that it reduces the risk of injuries caused by repetitive motions, such as clicking and scrolling.

      First of all, the primary element of ergonomic design is safety. When designers design things, they need to regard safety as a priority. If safety is ignored, the product may cause injuries and harm its users. With safety in mind, the designers engineered the Logitech mouse so that there are no risks and danger when using it. In fact, the exterior of this mouse is made into a smooth round shape and does not contain any dangerous edges. Furthermore, this mouse is big enough to prevent children from swallowing it. Moreover, there would not be any electricity leakages because both the wires and electricity of the mouse is sealed tightly within the mouse. As a result, the mouse is designed to ensure the safety of its users, and its users can exercise the product without fears of getting hurt.

     To continue, comfort is the second element to look for when one is analyzing an ergonomic design. Comfort is an important element to products because it can reduce stress or distraught feeling in people who use the product. In contrast, we may develop health problems such as back pain if we consistently use a product in an uncomfortable way. The comfortable Logitech mouse allows us to relax and relieves the pressure of our wrist from extended computer usage. As mentioned earlier, the grid of the mouse is sleek and can be comfortably controlled.

     Despite safety and comfort, user friendly is another important element for creating ergonomic products. Complex designs and features can confuse the audience, so many designers and design companies tries to reflect the concept of “keep it simple” on their designs, which provides easy of use feature. This Logitech mouse is simple and easy to use; you only need to plug in the little USB receiver on your computer and turn on the power switch under the mouse. It is a wireless mouse that intelligently positioned its buttons at our fingertips, allowing it to easily perform tasks such as scroll, cut, paste, and zoom. It is also designed with a flexible rechargeable system that lets the users effortlessly charge their mouse through their computers.

       Next, the performance of a mouse design is determined by how well the mouse receives an order. For this Logitech mouse, it has a high performance sensor that can receive orders efficiently and smoothly. Also, the use of wireless helps the mouse to maneuver quickly and effectively. This computer mouse includes fast scrolling options that assist people to scroll through long documents and web pages. This special performance makes this mouse unique and “hyper-fast”. Moreover, the performance of this design is excellent because it actually works on almost every surface. The mouse can even perform smoothly on a glass surface. Thus, this mouse, without doubt, is easy and convenient to use.

       Finally, the last component of an ergonomic design is its aesthetics. In previous classes, we learned that aesthetic means the beauty of things that is visually pleasing to viewers. Looking at the mouse, it contains several sleek buttons, black and sliver color, and some lines on the mouse. Although this Logitech mouse is not colorful, the aesthetics of this computer mouse presents a functional feeling. This design simply demonstrates to the audience that it is an ergonomic and high performance computer mouse that consumers can look forward to purchase.

       In conclusion, ergonomic design approaches human’s natural laws. It combines science technology with designs and makes designs more comfortable and efficient. Nowadays, ergonomic designs are getting more and more important, because designs without ergonomic may cause health problems. Therefore, ergonomic designs not only improve our life but also prevent our health from being jeopardize. It is most important that a good ergonomic design meets the five basic components: safety, comfort, usability, performance, and aesthetics.