Cool Tools: When designing a space or wearables for humans, you’ll need precise measurements of our size. How high to put a door knob, the circumference of our necks, how far we can reach overhead? There’s no such thing as an average person, so you’ll also need to know what the variances are, too.
9 comments:
It never occurred to me that there would be a set of average human measurements, but reading about this now it makes a lot of sense. I wish this article had explained in more detail exactly how these averages were decided, what populations the data was collected from, etc.. I think it would be interested to compile human dimensions like this, say, every 5 years, in order to document possible change and patterns in the human body.
I agree with Camille that averages are very interesting. I knew that averages existing a lot in architecture, for example kitchen cabinet height, bathroom cabinet height, and door knob height, but I wonder if those standards developed out of building practices or something like this website.
The dimensions I would like to know if they are related able. So is A the same dimension through all the drawings. Some of the drawings just did not seem to relay the same measurement in terms of the label they were given. None the less very interesting source of reference. Also wonder how scaleable the sizes are.
That's a nifty little book. Ive spent a decent amount of time now trying to figure out things like, how big I should'd make that table, or that chair, or that doorknob. It looks very thorough too. Its 320 pages of data, apparently compiled by NASA (which is kind of a trust worthy source). Also in reference to the above comment, the bottom picture notes that its in 1/2" scale. It would be super cool if the whole book maintained that scale.
I like Camille and Mr. Kennard, didn't realize that a resource like this was in print. Having previously worked as a contractor, I knew that there were certain 'rules' and standards that were followed in construction, but it never occurred to me that studies in ergonomics had lead to creating a source of recommended practices like this. Unfortunately this article is so brief in comparison to the text it doesn't provide much context for the example images making it difficult to fully understand its content.
I think this text, or an abridged version for the shop could be especially useful if redesigning workbenches or saw-tables in an educational scene shop.
This is a really useful tool. We just had a class about estimating and various way to do it, but every single method came with the caveat: the methods differ per person. But maybe a defined set of average human measurements will allow us to gain perciseness in our estimation. Also, building things will be a little more precise with perscribed human measurements.
As designers and builders it's always a good idea to check our impressions and assumptions against reality. What is a chair? The answers to that seemingly simple question are limitless, and as varied as the human forms that recline in them. I remember building a pair of steel chairs from a designer's drawing some time ago. I was careful with my welding, and I wire wheeled and clear coated every surface for a nice brushed finish. I assumed they were for a show with children in them, or some kind of forced perspective, for they were quite small. Then I finally met the designer, who stood about five-foot if an inch. I began to worry, and sure enough, they chairs were sent back two weeks later when the six-foot-two tall actor couldn't squeeze into them. It was a little funny, but a cautionary tale. If you don't want to buy this book, at least take a tape measure to someone other than yourself. Who knows, it might even be fun.
I love this!! Knowing all about the average persons body is such a great tool to have at your fingertips. This would come in very handy when designing a set, prop, costume, or many other theatre related projects. I think it's really funny that the data was originally started by NASA. This is just another example of how technology becomes available to more people over time. These images really make me think about how almost everything that we as humans interact with on a day to day basis is deigned with the human figure in mind. Perhaps more of our artistic designs should do the same?
i always forget these conventions for human bodies when i need them, so this article is very useful. Its good to know especially in our perfession when were designing things for people that are supossed to look normal and good. I feel like averages in our decade are a little skewed because so many people are overweight and cant ben over or lay normal that is skews our averages, how ever i think its very interesting knowing these.
FYI This is available in the Arts Reference section of Hunt Library if you need to consult it!
Location: Hunt Library - FA-REF-4 (Arts Reference Hunt 4th Floor)
Call Number: NA2542.4 .P356 1979
Mo D. (Art and Drama Librarian)
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