equipment design
an area of human engineering concerned with the design of work tools, home appliances, and machines of all kinds, including their displays and controls. One particularly important application is the design of transport systems, such as roads, road signs, and the vehicles that use them. The major goal is to see that the equipment is designed with human factors in mind, such as safety, fatigue, convenience, comfort, and efficiency. See tool design; workspace design. See also engineering psychology; ergonomics.