Clarifying Human Factors and Related Disciplines: A Design Thinking Workshop to Organize Our Terminology and Techniques

Abstract

One persistent issue for the field of Human Factors Engineering (HFE) is that it is often confused with closely related disciplines such as User Experience (UX), Customer Experience (CX), Human Centered Design (HCD), and Cognitive Engineering (CE). The proliferation of related disciplines, techniques, and skills sends mixed messages to stakeholders and program managers, resulting in the following impacts: (a) misalignment with job requirements; (b) Lack of clarity on user-centered requirements and relevant standards; (c) Difficulty in communicating HFE and HFE-related Return on Investment (ROI); and d) Confusion on the techniques/analyses/artifacts needed to approach human-centered problems. Using design thinking techniques, this interactive activity provides the HFES community with a way to share their lessons learned and best practices. We will identify terms, their meaning, definitions, and where similarities lie in hopes of providing a starting point of mutual understanding to continue discussion within the Human Factors and adjacent communities.