Denis A. Coelho | Universidade da Beira Interior (original) (raw)

Books by Denis A. Coelho

"""A fast paced changing world requires dynamic methods and robust theories to enable designers t... more """A fast paced changing world requires dynamic methods and robust theories to enable designers to deal with the new product development landscape successfully and make a difference in an increasingly interconnected world. Designers continue stretching the boundaries of their discipline, and trail new paths in interdisciplinary domains, constantly moving the frontiers of their practice farther.
This book, the successor to ‘Industrial Design – New Frontiers’ (2011), develops the concepts present in the previous book further, as well as reaching new areas of theory and practice in industrial design. ‘Advances in Industrial Design Engineering’ assists readers in leaping forward in their own practice and in preparing new design research that is relevant and aligned with the current challenges of this fascinating field."""

A new breed of modern designers is on the way. These non-traditional industrial designers work ac... more A new breed of modern designers is on the way. These non-traditional industrial designers work across disciplines, understand human beings, business and technology thus bridging the gap between customer needs and technological advancement of tomorrow. Whether by using unique manufacturing processes like rapid prototyping and laser cutting or by celebrating beautiful materials like organics, concrete or silicon, they are successfully evolving industrial design according to user’s needs and engagement with their product. This book uncovers prospective designer techniques and methods of a new age of industrial design, whose practitioners strive to construct simple and yet complex products of the future.
The nine chapters in this book report on the novel frontiers of the new era of industrial design and how these are being tackled, in what concerns the design process, in illustrating the use of new technologies in design and in terms of the advancement of culturally inspired design.
The first section of the book is on design and new technologies, covering the themes of technology as a determinant of object shape, knowledge-based engineering for supporting design and product instructions in the digital age. The second section deals with culturally inspired design from both a practice and an educational viewpoint. The last section covers several approaches to innovation in the design process, including biologically inspired design, product design with embodiment design viewed in a new perspective, disruptive innovative designs, and an example of the application of TRIZ principles to design.
The diverse perspectives taken by the authors of this book ensure stimulating reading and will assist readers in leaping forward in their own practice of industrial design and in preparing new design research that is relevant and aligned with the current challenges of this fascinating field.

Denis Coelho and Abir Mullick

Papers by Denis A. Coelho

Work-a Journal of Prevention Assessment & Rehabilitation, 2012

Sustainable Development, 2021

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders is supported by use of slanted rather than horizontal poi... more Prevention of musculoskeletal disorders is supported by use of slanted rather than horizontal pointing devices, but user acceptance of the former may be compromised due to lower perceived ease of use. This study compares subjectively rated usability (N = 37) for three sizes of slanted computer mice and includes a horizontal small conventional device as a reference. For a random subset of the sample (n = 10), objective usability parameters were also elicited. Participants followed a standard protocol which is based on executing graphical pointing, steering, and dragging tasks generated by a purpose-built software. Subjective ratings were collected for each of the four pointing devices tested. The three slanted devices differed in size but were chosen because of an approximately similar slant angle (around 50–60 degrees relative to the horizontal plane). Additionally, effectiveness and efficiency were objectively calculated based on data recorded for the graphical tasks’ software for ...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Developing new manual computer pointing devices abiding to the requirements set out in ergonomic ... more Developing new manual computer pointing devices abiding to the requirements set out in ergonomic product design literature necessitates joining contributions from several areas, including the ergonomic guidelines applicable to hand tool design, human–system interaction, and certain user characteristics such as anthropometric data. Computer mice are hand tools enabling the interaction with the computer, for use by people from both sexes and practically all ages. Moreover, the PC mouse’s intensive usage is able to cause musculoskeletal disorders. This paper reports on a study aimed at developing new computer mouse shapes, reducing forearm pronation, and providing hand–palm holding, supported by a literature review and an adequate design methodology, starting from known shapes of commercial products, the traditional (horizontal) computer mouse, and the vertical computer mouse. In this regard, potential concepts were generated as solutions to the previously specified problem through a s...

Framing research within a methodology supports the planning which guides the research process. Th... more Framing research within a methodology supports the planning which guides the research process. The process design defines a plan where research strategies aim collection of data and respective methods of analysis, in order to provide answers to research questions. This paper describes the research process conducted in the experimental and design work conducive to the doctoral dissertation by Lourenco [1] focusing on the development and ergonomic analysis of new PC mice. This research was framed within positivism, associated to exact sciences, adopting a structured research methodology, enabling enhanced replicability. The aim of this paper is report on research methodology, in particular in what concerns the intertwined research methodologies and associated research questions involved in the development and ergonomic evaluation of PC mice. The taxonomy of research approaches proposed by Jarvinen [2] is the basis for the classification of the research methodology presented.

In a globalized world, we are confronted everywhere with the encouragement to consumption, the pu... more In a globalized world, we are confronted everywhere with the encouragement to consumption, the purchase of goods and services. This is something characteristic of the consumer society in which we live, whether it is caused by consumption needs and their satisfaction or because saturation has already set in, or it may even be caused by social statement (Baudrillard 1995). The intention of this chapter is to focus on the study of technology as a determinant of the shape of products that incorporate technology. The acceptance of a product by consumers, and how important the shape and look of it is to the success of the product, has been previously studied (Bloch 1995). Research has also been carried out to study the determinants of the shape of products (Crilly, Moultrie & Clarkson 2009), which shows that several aspects determine the final shape of a product. The form development process is driven by the designers' efforts to guide or constrain the way in which the product will be...

Advances in Usability, User Experience and Assistive Technology, 2018

An uncontrolled study took place in course settings with 30 3rd year undergraduates. Standard gra... more An uncontrolled study took place in course settings with 30 3rd year undergraduates. Standard graphical tasks were generated from dedicated software. Subjects used their own and other subjects’ pointing devices. Pointing efficiency was calculated within each 2 to 4 subjects group. Hypothetically, subjects would not experience improved efficiency in pointing and dragging tasks when switching to other devices from their own device. The other devices might share the archetype of the owned device, but differ in dimensions and shape details, or activation thresholds. Reasons are suggested for cases where the hypothesis is not verified in the results. Literature review and prior experimental results tentatively explains the subjects’ improvement in efficiency when changing to unfamiliar pointing devices. Familiarity with the tasks and improved fitness with borrowed device are potential motivators for efficiency gains observed that do not comply with the hypothesis. A snapshot of PC mice used by students is provided.

International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation, 2016

The nature of the sustainability crisis is characterized by high levels of complexity, thus it is... more The nature of the sustainability crisis is characterized by high levels of complexity, thus it is not amenable to be approached from the linearity or reductionist paradigm. Emergence is a multilevel phenomenon that is characterized by qualitative novelty and is recognized as an important attribute of complex systems produced by self-organized processes, unveiled from a holistic stance. This conceptual-analytical article explores the emergence phenomenon and questions whether it can be a way of enhancing the solution process to meet the sustainability challenges. Emergent properties or behaviors emerge only when the system parts interact in a wider whole. Moreover, a systemic approach is proposed as an intermediary component in the process of emergence of creative and wise solutions to the wicked problems of unsustainability. This requires observation and entails analyzing open systems as a whole and recognizing the impact of traversing macro- and micro- scales on causal and creative...

Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal—Annual Review, 2011

The main propose of this contribution is the identification of the contours of a possibly existen... more The main propose of this contribution is the identification of the contours of a possibly existent identity of Portuguese and Lusophone design. It was chosen to just analyze Portuguese and Brazilian design and from these two identities, extrapolate the Lusophone design identity. Similarities were sought between Portuguese and Brazilian product designs, according to the analyzed products. An analysis of design products was then made, focusing on countries with design production of great international appreciation so that it would be possible to differentiate against ...

The International Journal of Visual Design, 2017

Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2016

This paper investigates the effect of the differences in the nature of work on the psychosocial a... more This paper investigates the effect of the differences in the nature of work on the psychosocial assessment of people working under the same management, and in the same organizational environment. 32 field workers and 14 office workers of a utility company were voluntarily subjected to a psychosocial assessment. The short version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire was used. Statistical analysis yielded a significantly higher esteem score for the field workers. An odds ratios analysis carried out for the nature of work for CoPsoQ subscales did not reveal significant differences. Results are interpreted under the light of socio-technical systems theory.

Sewage treatment, water treatment and maintenance workers from a utility company, totaling 32 mal... more Sewage treatment, water treatment and maintenance workers from a utility company, totaling 32 male subjects, participated in a cross-sectional psychosocial and ergonomics assessment. The Washington State Department of Labor and Industries field work ergonomic checklist and the short version Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (CoPsoQ) were used. The analysis tested the hypothesis that sewage treatment workers, subjected to foul odors, show higher severity of psychosocial factors than water treatment workers. Odds ratios for the sewage treatment condition were computed for all psychosocial sub-scales, suggesting rejection of the hypothesis. Association was found between ergonomic risk factors and some of the psychosocial sub-scales.

Denis Coelho and Abir Mullick

Work-a Journal of Prevention Assessment & Rehabilitation, 2012

Sustainable Development, 2021

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

Advances in Usability, User Experience and Assistive Technology, 2018

International Journal of Design Creativity and Innovation, 2016

Design Principles and Practices: An International Journal—Annual Review, 2011

The International Journal of Visual Design, 2017

Advances in Intelligent Systems and Computing, 2016

A voluntary psychosocial assessment of office workers in a utility company was carried out using ... more A voluntary psychosocial assessment of office workers in a utility company was carried out using the short version of the Copenhagen Psychococial Questionnaire (CoPsoQ) in two occasions, one and a half year apart. Initially, 25 workers participated (11 men and 14 women), while 14 of those workers (8 women and 6 men) participated in the second psychosocial assessment. Statistical analysis showed a fairly stable outlook longitudinally, with sustained severe scores in many of the sub-scales. An odds ratios analysis considering gender as exposure factor showed an effect on intensification of severity of workers control over work and esteem for men.

Occupational Safety and Hygiene II, 2014

ABSTRACT Based on a cross-sectional study of 32 office workers, this paper reports on association... more ABSTRACT Based on a cross-sectional study of 32 office workers, this paper reports on association between environmental conditions in the domains of lighting, noise and the thermal environment and psychosocial factors. The six COPSOQ subscales are modeled on environmental and local demographic data. Insecurity towards the future, conflicting demands and workers control over work were significantly associated to environmental and demographic factors, including illuminance level, air temperature, sound level, as well as ...

Corruption, and in particular, public sector corruption, is currently one of the most talked abou... more Corruption, and in particular, public sector corruption, is currently one of the most talked about problems in the world. Following on previous work on the association of national measures of dimensions of culture proposed by Gert Hofstede (1983) with manufacturing strategies (in countries across continents) and road fatalities (in countries within the European Union), this contribution focuses on association with perceived public sector corruption. This is based on the 2014 Corruption Perception Index - CPI (a Transparency International index), measuring the perceived levels of public sector corruption in 175 countries and territories. Power distance is positively associated with corruption, while individuality is negatively associated with perceived corruption (number of countries and territories included from across five continents: 69).

""This contribution reviews key data on road traffic fatalities across Europe and seeks associati... more ""This contribution reviews key data on road traffic fatalities across Europe and seeks associative links between the afore-mentioned data and per capita income, new car sales and national cultural dimensions of European countries. The rate of population shift from poverty to affluence has been exponentially growing in many countries, with access to products and systems having increased. Understanding the association between cultural dimensions and road fatalities can point, at the European level, to the countries, where national dimensions of culture represent a predisposition for greater or less risk adversity and safe or unsafe road behaviors. This study may hence assist decision makers, nationally and at European level to tailor prevention campaigns and safety programs and measures to each national reality and culture. The regression model showed a single independent variable within the model of traffic fatalities per capita, which was power distance.

Keywords: Power Distance, Uncertainty Avoidance, Traffic Safety, Risk Taking in Traffic
""

""This contribution reviews approaches and methods for developing product design specifications t... more ""This contribution reviews approaches and methods for developing product design specifications that place emphasis and priority on affective user experience. Understanding customers’ affective needs is difficult to grasp. For example, if a person wants an impression of luxuriousness, then it is necessary to investigate which product design attributes make the individual sense such an impression. To answer this question, the relationship between affective features and product design attributes should be analyzed, considering an interactive, evolving, and individual perspective. Pleasure with products, Kansei engineering, product emotion, Fuben-eki and product personalities are the approaches reviewed to illustrate the existing resources for specification of affective user experience in design. The notion of a product's ecosystem as part of the design of the user experience is related to experience prototyping. With the aim of providing guidance to designers, this contribution discusses whether the affective user experience specification methods translate directly into product design features, or if these are attained by trial and error, the latter being mostly the case, except for Fuben-eki. An expanding vision of futurism and evolution, based on projected future technological capabilities, may be associated to gradually enriching affective user experiences, increasingly demanding users and enlarging and more pervasive product ecosystems.

Keywords: Pleasure with Products, Fuben-eki, Kansei Engineering, Product Personalities, Product Ecosystem""

The analysis compares constant returns to scale (CRS) and varying returns to scale (VRS) measures... more The analysis compares constant returns to scale (CRS) and varying returns to scale (VRS) measures, by modeling the performance of internet companies using a two-stage DEA process. In the DEA literature, process efficiency is widely measured by a CRS measure, CCR, and a VRS measure, BCC, which were proposed by Charnes et al. (1978) and Banker et al. (1984), respectively. Measuring the performance of Internet companies using two-stage DEA was also presented by Cao and Yang (2011). The results of the analysis reported in this paper suggest that both forms of DEA efficiency scores are relevant to
measure the performance of Internet companies.

Keywords: Decision support systems, E-commerce, Evaluating information, Internet companies, Investment analysis.

O crowdsourcing (ou abastecimento na multidão) é um novo paradigma de design de produtos de modo ... more O crowdsourcing (ou abastecimento na multidão) é um novo paradigma de design de produtos de modo social que foi analisado por um conjunto de investigadores da Universidade da Beira Interior, liderado por Denis Coelho. Recorrendo à técnica de grupo de foco, e ainda a um questionário de âmbito internacional, a equipa da UBI especializada em design industrial tecnológico, fez o levantamento das oportunidades e dos riscos para os designers deste fenómeno de expressividade crescente e potencialmente disruptivo do modo dominante de desenvolvimento de produtos para o mercado. As preocupações suscitadas por este fenómeno prendem-se com a potencial democratização do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos podendo este ser alcançado por pessoas sem formação especializada, desgastando assim o que de outro modo já poderia ser considerado um mercado de oportunidades escasso. Contudo, os designers envolvidos no estudo que já participam neste tipo de processos, têm uma opinião contrária, uma vez que reconhecem benefícios aos designers participantes, que lhes são conferidos pela sua formação especializada que os coloca em posição de vantagem relativamente aos restantes membros da "multidão". A investigação da UBI mostrou ainda que o aumento de organizações dedicadas ao crowdsourcing para desenvolvimento de produtos tem, contrariamente ao que seria de esperar, criado oportunidades de contratação de designers industriais especializados em tecnologia mecatrónica (eletrónica, robótica, mecânica e materiais) nos quadros das empresas. O debate que se seguiu permitiu concluir que o crowdsourcing proporciona oportunidades múltiplas aos designers industriais especializados nas tecnologias referidas.

TRIZ and Human Factors and Ergonomics Denis Alves Coelho, University of Beira Interior, Portuga... more TRIZ and Human Factors and Ergonomics
Denis Alves Coelho,
University of Beira Interior, Portugal
Many of the human factors problems encountered in manufacturing are found at the intersection between people, technology and work. Do Altshuller's inventive principles apply to human factors problems solving? An exploration of the 39 engineering parameters in TRIZ contradiction is made, seeking correspondence with human factors and ergonomics concepts and issues. While many engineering parameters have a repercussion on human factors concepts, it is also true that some aspects of human factors are not easily considered (psychosocial aspects, for instance) in TRIZ terms. In most cases, the Human factors and ergonomics concepts considered deal with potentially harmful consequences on the individual, but this discipline also has a positive, gain seeking side, which may also be linked to TRIZ.

This paper revisits three reports on ergonomic aspects of development initiatives taking place in... more This paper revisits three reports on ergonomic aspects of development initiatives taking place in Industrially Developing Countries (IDCs). These include a macro-ergonomics intervention in a habitation community in Cape Verde (aimed at designing solutions contributing to sustainable development), the evolution of poultry growers’ control strategies as an integrative broiler operation is introduced in Mozambique, and a set of macro-ergonomic considerations related to the Agro Forestry Village Project in Mozambique. The paper seeks to set the reviewed development endeavors against the backdrop of the goals of ergonomics interventions. This reflection may inform development agents in future processes of design and implementation of integrated community and work systems transformation.

Keywords

Industrially developing countries, sustainability, systems approach, community centered design, ergonomic goals

This paper describes a new multimedia tool that is in its final stage of development. The tool is... more This paper describes a new multimedia tool that is in its final stage of development. The tool is meant to disseminate knowledge about Health and Safety at work in Small and Medium Enterprises. Its contents portray a wide ranging coverage of the subject matter. This paper focuses on the user friendly functionality that was designed into this new tool, using mainstream software. User progression is monitored throughout the contents and also by means of user levels, accessed through quizzes, and motivated with the use of explicit user goals, in a game like manner. The tool provides search features, real-time clickable annotated maps, a glossary, and support for multiple users as well as the ability to enclose user comments to the contents. Diagnosis functions meant to help the user customize the tool are provided. The tool is available on-line at http://preventor.ubi.pt and is being developed with the support of the Portuguese government.

This contribution seeks answering the question: can design be culturally inclusive, embracing oth... more This contribution seeks answering the question: can design be culturally inclusive, embracing other cultures and identities beyond the widely recognized Italian, Scandinavian or German design identities? If on the one hand the production of existing design with Lusophone origin (mainly Portuguese and Brazilian) has influences and similarities with those traditions, is there an unexplored area of greater inclusion of cultural traits in the creation of a design identity intended for the Lusophone space and for the globalized market? This work contributes to the development and dissemination of Portuguese and Portuguese speaking design so that these may be more recognized, helping to make Portuguese and Lusophone design identifiable. To this end, a survey was conducted based on the characteristics of cultural identity of the Portuguese people and the people of Portuguese-speaking countries and the different perspectives they have of themselves, of each other and the perspectives that the non Portuguese speakers have of the former. After analyzing the characteristics and perspectives gathered, these cultural aspects were divided into positive, neutral and negative. Based on this study, a method for transfer of cultural traits of the Lusophone cultures was developed and applied in the process of product design. Only those aspects of Portuguese and Lusophone cultures considered positive and neutral were transferred, since the objective for the products was to make them appealing and nice. Several correspondences between the cultural characteristics of the Portuguese speaking people, denoted by the authors as positive and neutral, and the personality attributes of the product presented by Patrick W. Jordan (2000) were established. Next, a correlation between the attributes of personality resulting from the consideration of cultural aspects and technical characteristics of 12 products tested (colour, material, shape, graphic marks, archetype, morphology, ease of use, manufacturing, technological refinement, functionality and multiple sizes) was established This process was informed by practical cases, and resulted in the creation of product specifications. From the creation of the specification, two product lines of living room furniture were designed, one of them with an intended Portuguese character and another with the intention to incorporate the spirit of the Portuguese speaking world. Both were subject to validation by industrial design students.

Keywords: Culturally inspired Design, Product Personalities, Furniture Design, Portuguese speaking countries

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are prevalent, potentially disabling conditions with enormous so... more Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are prevalent, potentially disabling conditions with enormous social costs. Repetition, forceful hand actions, abnormal hand postures, vibrations, and deprivation of rest have all been previously identified as risk factors for the development of musculoskeletal disorders. This paper presents the outcome of correlation analyses elaborated between the data results obtained from using different methods for objectively and subjectively assessing hand force from a prospective study of 450 blue collar workers from several companies and industries, followed for up to 3 years. The study collected detailed ergonomic exposure data at baseline and upper extremity health outcome data at baseline and every 4 months during the study. Partial findings of prevalence and incidence rates of upper extremity disorders are presented. Ultimately, the study was intended to evaluate dose-response relationships of specific upper extremity disorders with detailed physical and psychosocial exposure data at the workplace while controlling for important individual factors. This paper presents the methods used to collect data, as well as the hand force results of the epidemiological study in aggregate correlated form, as a means of exploring the degree of independence between the variables considered. An enhanced understanding of independence of MSD causal factors is instrumental in establishing more accurate multi-variable models of MSD causation which will play an important role in extrapolating from the understanding of mechanisms of causation to establishing effective recommendations and programs to prevent the occurrence of MSDs.

Encompassing and authoritative, while the main focus is on human factors, it still manages to i... more Encompassing and authoritative, while the main focus is on human factors, it still

manages to include the fundamentals of ergonomics articulating them with the former

and seemly integrate the cognitive, organisational and the physical domains of human

factors and ergonomics, doing so in a concise and easy flowing style. Relying to a great

extent, although not exclusively, on the author’s broad experience and long research

production history, some aspects are not dealt with separately but are instead dispersed

throughout several chapters of the book (e.g., driving), others are somewhat short

(learning and training), and very few are absent. Neuroergonomics and affective human

factors are the few topics that are notoriously missing, the first one understandably as it is

still very much in flux, while the second one would probably deserve a textbook of its

own. The scope of the book is the psychology of human-machine interaction, and it is

intended, according to the author’s preface to the 1st edition, to help engineers think more

like psychologists, and to help psychologists think more like engineers. Hence, whoever

is already sitting on the fence will most likely receive this book well, as it is clearly the

offspring of a well-matured engineering psychology perspective, that is as much

encompassing as it is hands-on. The book, in its 2nd edition, revised and enlarged, keeps

very nicely on par with the latest technological developments, while emphasising

concepts and systems thinking. From its treatment of cognition and psychological aspects

of the senses of vision and audition to the more focused aspects of human-machine

interaction presented from a systems perspective, it remains an

designers in developing more effective and efficient systems.

Book editor and coauthor Pierre Falzon argues that the objective of ergonomics must be the devel... more Book editor and coauthor Pierre Falzon argues that the objective of ergonomics must be the development of

individuals, based on setting up situations of action that lead to increased success and to the acquisition or construction

of knowhow, knowledge and skills. The book advocates that ergonomics cannot remain satisfied with a limited and

static view of adaptation, a view that would restrict its goal to designing systems that are suited to work as it is defined

at a certain point in time, to workers as they are at a particular moment, and to organizations as they operate here and

now. Rooted both in the academic world and in the world of practitioners of the domain, it details a constructive,

developmental view where ergonomics seeks to eliminate the factors and conditions that encumber performance and

hinder development.Interesting and thoughtprovoking, the work the book showcases proposes an alternative

framework and revised objectives for the science and practice of Human Factors and Ergonomics (HFE). Central to

this proposed revision is viewing development as a fundamental goal of HFE as well as a prerequisite for health and

performance, while advocating a constructive view of interventions, grounded in actual practice and supported by

integration models from economics and management theory. An exploration of a contemporary, developmental view

of ergonomics, the book proposes a redefinition of the ambition of the discipline and describes the elements of its

scope.

Mostly written by French speaking authors, it was professionally translated to English. This notwithstanding, the

authors manage to leap past the cultural boundaries defined by their language, providing a conceptual background in

the first section entitled “Resources and Conditions for Development” and providing in the second section entitled

“Dynamics of Action and Dynamics of Development” a set of methodological tools for intervening in reallife

contexts. These attributes make the book potentially useful to experts and students alike both within and beyond the

cultural and geographical scope of the authors’ affiliations.