How do you effectively detect safety challenges during product design?
Consumer products and services can be made more likely to be used safely, effectively, and with more satisfaction when the design considers needs, capabilities, and limitations of intended users, as well as a user mental model that captures typical user thought processes.
Exponent understands that knowledge, skills, and abilities vary — from vision and hearing, to manual dexterity, strength, and reach — and can lead people to use products differently. Likewise, human cognitive functions — including attention, memory, information processing, appreciation and understanding of hazards, and problem solving — can affect how a user engages with a product. The environment in which a product or service is used — the context of use — may also have an impact on interactions with products.
Exponent's multidisciplinary scientists and engineers routinely test the usability of products with human participants, who are representative of the intended users, to better understand user-product interactions and hazards in addition to complying with regulations, such as the FDA's 510(k) or PMA submission requirements. As part of these types of analyses, our team searches for and evaluates existing records of product-use-related injuries to help determine whether product designs present unique accident patterns.
Safety issues can typically be detected during early product design phases, and Exponent often performs risk analyses during those early phases to help manufacturers make informed decisions during product development.
Capabilities and Services
Applying human behavioral data in risk analyses can be powerful for improving safety in product design, making appropriate recall decisions, and developing design refinements to address customer complaints or safety issues.
![User Research & Testing [HF]](/sites/default/files/styles/item_accordion/public/media/images/GettyImages-1338374024.jpg.webp?itok=SCNjIsR2)
Our Capabilities Are Unparalleled
With expertise in over 90 disciplines and hundreds of capabilities, tools, and methodologies — we get to the root of even the most complex challenges and give you the objective answers you need.
Accident Investigation & Reconstruction: Human Factors
Multidisciplinary accident reconstruction to identify root causes, reduce risk, and improve safety.
Improve User Research & Testing
Human factors investigations for data-driven product and process design decisions.
Occupational & Process Safety
Expert consulting support for mitigating human behavior-related work and process safety risks.
Centers for Scientific User Research (CSUR)
Pioneering scientific user experience research across the full lifecycle of consumer, industrial, automotive, and medical device products.
