An ergonomically designed ergonomics exhibition: lessons from and for public engagement
An ergonomically designed ergonomics exhibition: lessons from and for public engagement
'Ergonomics: Real Design' was an exhibition at the Design Museum in London to celebrate the 60th anniversary of UK ergonomics. The aim of the exhibition was to enhance the appreciation of ergonomics in society amongst researchers and the general public; as a public engagement project a key objective was to facilitate two-way dialogue between ergonomists and non-ergonomists. This article presents the development of the exhibition, covering the formative evaluation which was directed at determining perceptions of ergonomics from both within and outside the discipline. The output was then used to guide the choice of exhibits - both in terms of the content and the structure of the message - and further summative evaluation work to assess the impact of the exhibition is presented. This article concludes by extracting key lessons from the exhibition project for future public engagement with ergonomics, with critical reflection on the nature of ergonomics itself.
design, ergonomics, evaluation, exhibition, public engagement
75-91
Young, Mark S.
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Bisset, Fergus J.
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Grant, Laura
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Williams, Bella
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Sell, Reg
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Haslam, Roger
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January 2012
Young, Mark S.
3f79589e-2000-4cb0-832a-6eba54f50130
Bisset, Fergus J.
5b2b60e6-8bff-4be1-a883-7d071deb6c8a
Grant, Laura
11cae106-8e36-4618-8e75-1225bfd13e01
Williams, Bella
91c4b914-1521-4d67-af5a-ef2ecfedbb81
Sell, Reg
5e8198b7-5784-4e7a-9648-420f1c6cd0ad
Haslam, Roger
db9f9560-537b-470d-9f02-aae20e99ff91
Young, Mark S., Bisset, Fergus J., Grant, Laura, Williams, Bella, Sell, Reg and Haslam, Roger
(2012)
An ergonomically designed ergonomics exhibition: lessons from and for public engagement.
Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 13 (1), .
(doi:10.1080/1463922X.2010.491875).
Abstract
'Ergonomics: Real Design' was an exhibition at the Design Museum in London to celebrate the 60th anniversary of UK ergonomics. The aim of the exhibition was to enhance the appreciation of ergonomics in society amongst researchers and the general public; as a public engagement project a key objective was to facilitate two-way dialogue between ergonomists and non-ergonomists. This article presents the development of the exhibition, covering the formative evaluation which was directed at determining perceptions of ergonomics from both within and outside the discipline. The output was then used to guide the choice of exhibits - both in terms of the content and the structure of the message - and further summative evaluation work to assess the impact of the exhibition is presented. This article concludes by extracting key lessons from the exhibition project for future public engagement with ergonomics, with critical reflection on the nature of ergonomics itself.
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More information
Accepted/In Press date: 30 April 2010
e-pub ahead of print date: 30 September 2010
Published date: January 2012
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
‘Making Things Better: an ergonomics exhibition at the Design Museum’ was a project funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council under its Partnerships for Public Engagement programme. The project was a partnership between Brunel University, the Design Museum, Loughborough University and Laura Grant Associates.
Funding Information:
But engagement can have an intrinsic motivation, too, as participation with non-specialist groups can illuminate the social and ethical implications of science, and open new avenues for research. Engagement can be its own reward, then, and far from being the disrespected, extracurricular activity it used to be, it is now gaining credence as a scientific endeavour in its own right. For instance, the high-profile Beacons for Public Engagement initiative2 has £9.2m funding from UK Research Councils, Higher Education Funding Councils and the Wellcome Trust.
Keywords:
design, ergonomics, evaluation, exhibition, public engagement
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 479156
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/479156
ISSN: 1463-922X
PURE UUID: 3373e34b-b63d-42f6-a156-f012ba77fcc1
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Date deposited: 20 Jul 2023 16:40
Last modified: 18 Mar 2024 04:12
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Contributors
Author:
Mark S. Young
Author:
Fergus J. Bisset
Author:
Laura Grant
Author:
Bella Williams
Author:
Reg Sell
Author:
Roger Haslam
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