Thirteenth International Conference on Design Principles & Practices

Abstract

The pattern of incidence of work-related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSDs) varies with the changing working pattern. This is the direct result of technological changes through time. In turn it can be said that design of the tools have impressive effect on the mentioned dynamics. This can be observed in the context of present situation. Within few decades digital technology has gained immense importance in our daily life. The physical effect of this can be seen in the extensive use of lower arm, specifically wrist and fingers. In this study, the relationship among interface design elements and risk of wrist disorder has been explored through a survey. From the first part of the survey it can be seen that the use of more digital devices in our daily life exerting substantial effect on wrist disorder occurrence. From the second part of the survey several design elements were identified and correlated with different physical risk factors of these disorders. The relationship observed from the study needs to be studied more extensively. The identification and correlation of the design elements can provide suitable modification points to reduce the risk of wrist disorders in present context.