The Measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors in Design (Hardcover)

~ Alvin R. Tilley (Author), Henry Dreyfuss Associates (Author) "In gathering data on the size of the body and its components, movement limitations, and strength-all of which are required to establish human-machine relationships and..." (more)
Key Phrases: fixed table height, percentile woman, rotary control knob, Black Mean, Japanese Mean (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Human factors research impacts everything from the height of kitchen counters to the placement of automobile pedals to a book's type size. And in this updated and expanded version of the original landmark work, you'll find the research information necessary to create designs that better accommodate human need. Featuring more than 200 anthropometric drawings, this handbook is filled with all of the essential measurements of the human body and its relationship to the designed environment. You'll also discover guidelines for designing for children and the elderly, for the digital workplace, and for ADA compliance. Measurements are in both English and metric units.

From the Inside Flap

"If people are made safer, more comfortable, more eager to purchase, more efficient–or just plain happier–the designer has succeeded."
–Henry Dreyfuss

Since the first printing of this landmark book in 1959, Henry Dreyfuss Associates has kept this invaluable resource current and at the forefront of anthropometric research–this edition is no exception.

The Measure of Man and Woman provides up-to-date measurements and information for children, teenagers, adult men and women, and the elderly through its detailed text, convenient tabular material, and 200 anthropometric drawings. Data and guidelines are also included for the visually and hearing-impaired, the wheelchair-bound, and others who are differently abled. All measurements are presented in imperial and metric units and reflect people of sizes ranging from the 1st to 99th percentiles.

Special features of this revised edition include:

• Critical information on issues surrounding the digital workplace
• Measurements for ADA compliance
• A demo version of ErgoForms, an ergonomic CAD program on CD-ROM
• An introduction by Stephen B. Wilcox, PhD

In addition to human dimensions, The Measure of Man and Woman provides rates of growth and ranges of motion for the waist, neck, limbs, and all other parts of the body relevant to the design of objects and spaces. Much of the material here is focused on the safety issues that impact design, as well as environmental factors such as lighting, noise, temperature, color, and even radiation. Comprehensive coverage also includes practical information and measurements for designing corridors, ramps, bathroom facilities, and office workstations that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Measure of Man and Woman is an invaluable reference for interior designers, architects, product designers, and students of these disciplines, as well as industrial engineers.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 104 pages
• Publisher: Wiley (December 31, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471099554
• ISBN-13: 978-0471099550
• Product Dimensions: 5.8 x 4.2 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #51,092 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #2 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems > Ergonomics
  #34 in	Books > Professional & Technical > Engineering > Industrial, Manufacturing & Operational Systems > Industrial Design
  #78 in	Books > Arts & Photography > Architecture > Drawing & Modelling

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful, but use with care, July 21, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors in Design (Dreyfuss Associates) (Hardcover)

This is the easiest to use and probably most comprehensive book of human measurement, in my opinion. The data provided in this book is of extreme value to anybody designing anything that physically interacts with human bodies. This is the only complete source of anthropometric data, that I know of, for children of virtually every age range.

However, some of the extrapolated data in the book is impractical for real use. For example, children's furniture dimensions recommended by this book are generally too small as they appear to be based upon exact proportions of adult recommendations. This is inappropriate because children's bodies and minds are not exact scale models of adult bodies.

Overall, though, I still recommend this book highly, but also recommend very careful use of it.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Ergonomic design, August 20, 1998

By	Miki Mehandjiysky "Miki" (Belmont Shore, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Measure of Man and Woman: Human Factors in Design (Dreyfuss Associates) (Hardcover)

Rich in visual and graphical material, calculations, diagrams and drawings of various humans (sex-specific), in scale, in various ergonomic situations... A mandatory reference tool for the contemporary industrial designer- and in fact one of the very few available on the market today. This book is especially useful to those students who study automotive / transportation design. I give this book 4 out of 5 stars, due to some minor imperfections and flaws.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome reference, November 5, 2006

By	egirl - See all my reviews

There's minimal reading in this book, which is nice since it's good for reference. The reading that it does have is very simple with bulleted paragraphs full of information that you can't get from looking at the diagrams.
Great diagrams for industrial design students (I got this for one of my classes), gives you the measurements, reach, sight and motion range, pretty much any numeric info you need to know for the 1 percentile, 99 percentile, and 50 percentile man/woman.
Also has nice chart of child development w/descriptions of what the ave. child can do at each age, as well as diagrams for the elderly (and in wheelchair). This book is essential if you are going for product design or interior design.