In 2016, the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) posed a challenge to students to create a 2-minute video to answer the question, "How does human factors/ergonomics help people?" The range of applications of human factors/ergonomics (HF/E) research is vast, and these videos capture an aspect of the field’s breadth in a concise yet creative and engaging manner. The video contest was part of HFES's vision of extending the reach and relevance of HFES and the HF/E discipline
First Place
Second Place
Third Place
The videos are:
"How Human Factors Improves Your Life"
Produced by Daniel Diethei, Lisa Herbst, and Paul Schlosser. Mr. Diethei studies human-computer interaction at the University of Würzburg, Germany. His research focus is on human factors projects in health care and aviation. In 2015 he spent two months at the University of Toronto, Canada, working on usability tests for infusion pumps in the intensive-care unit. In the same year he wrote his bachelor’s thesis on radar displays for air traffic controllers at the German Aerospace Center. He works for Siemens Healthcare, improving user interfaces for X-ray systems. Lisa Herbst studies media communication at the Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg and works for the chair of instructional psychology and new media. Her focus is on e-learning and learning with hypertext learning environments. She is working on her bachelor’s thesis on the influence of the position of macropropositions in hypertext learning environments. Thanks to workshops from the Hans-Seidel-Stiftung and the Design Akademie Berlin, she gained experience in creating videos. Paul Schlosser is working toward a master's degree in human-computer interaction at the University of Würzburg, Germany. He is fascinated by this program because it combines applied psychology and engineering. He has developed a strong interest in human factors in safety-critical systems. In 2015 he worked at the School of Psychology in Brisbane, Australia, where he researched the use of head-mounted displays in a clinical environment.
“How Does Human Factors Help People?"
Produced by Michelle Hester. Ms Hester is a recent graduate of the University of Idaho's Human Factors Psychology Master's Program and previously received her BS in psychology from the University of Central Florida. During her time in the Pacific Northwest, she interned with Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories as an environmental health and safety engineer, focusing on ergonomics. Her research interests include automation and human-robot interaction.
"That’s Human Factors!"
Produced by Desmond C. Bonner and Paul Easker. Mr. Bonner is a first-year PhD student at Iowa State University (ISU) studying human-computer interaction and industrial engineering. He earned a BFA in graphic design from Auburn University and an MS in human-computer interaction from ISU. His research interests include serious games, STEM education, and design for social change. Desmond works as a part of a research team studying intelligent tutoring systems. The video was created at the ISU Virtual Reality Applications Center.