As TechRadar’s Homes Editor, I spend a lot of my time testing and writing about vacuums. It is my opinion that Dyson makes some of the very best vacuum cleaners on the market. They’re super easy to maneuver, they’re well-built, and the suction is excellent. Some even have things like lasers, sensors, and LED screens. But almost all of them – bar the very top model – have one big, basic usability issue, and I just can’t understand why. テックレーダーの専属編集者として、私は掃除機のテストと執筆に多くの時間を費やしています。私の意見では、ダイソンは市場で最高の掃除機を製造していると思います。操作が非常に簡単で、しっかりとした造りで、吸引力も優れています。レーザー、センサー、LEDスクリーンなどを備えたものもあります。しかし、最上位モデルを除いて、ほとんどすべてに1つの大きな基本的なユーザビリティの問題があり、その理由が理解できません。
Here it is: the trigger needs to be continually held down when using the vacuum. それは、掃除機を使用するときはトリガーを絶えず押さえておく必要があるということです。
If you’re vacuuming anything bigger than a doormat, that means a sore index finger. It impedes maneuverability too, because you need to factor in your poor digits when twisting the vacuum into awkward corners. I’ve tested lots of vacuums now, and in my experience it’s rare that the manufacturer won’t provide a way to lock the power on for continuous running. Yet, whenever I get my Dyson V8 out to do some comparative testing, I am immediately frustrated by the trigger setup. 玄関マットよりも大きなものを掃除機で掃除していると、人差し指が痛くなります。掃除機を厄介なコーナーにひねるときには、指の悪さを考慮に入れる必要があるため、操作性も妨げられます。私はこれまでに多くの掃除機をテストしてきましたが、私の経験では、メーカーが連続運転のために電源をロックする方法を提供しないことはめったにありません。それでも、Dyson V8 を取り出して比較テストを行うたびに、トリガーのセットアップにすぐにイライラします。
上の図の(B)に載せたSoonyoung Kwonの論文の内容は以下のようなものだ。
Abstract Cordless stick vacuum cleaners have been getting popular with the slimline and portable design, serving diverse user needs and wants. However, we found users began to feel discomfort or even pain in their hand as the current design caused pressure and friction on hand and fingers constantly and repeatedly, raising the need for ergonomic improvement of current handle. In this study, we tried to solve this problem by (1) identifying the mechanisms cause discomfort in certain areas of user’s hand through laboratory experiment, (2) applying a block-type jig as a solution to evaluate a rapid ergonomic design intervention solution options. We improved its structural design in less than two months, minimizing any major structural changes as the product is currently on the market and still being manufactured. This paper demonstrates how such a traditional HCD (Human-Centered Design) based product design process can benefit from ergonomic approaches, which enables us to achieve a significant time and cost-effective redesign process.。