The In Between (Cognitive Ergonomics Evaluation in Public Spaces: A Cultural-Affordance-Based Approach)

This research explores the intersection between industrial and interaction design principles to create engaging interactive objects for public in-between spaces. It emphasizes not only designing with the body but also the mind, acknowledging the diverse cultural and social backgrounds of individuals. Employing a research-through-design approach with the creation of discursive artefacts, the study develops a cultural-affordance-based framework for cognitive ergonomics evaluation. This descriptive and reflective methodology departs from deterministic models, fostering cultural and social sensitivity in design for diverse populations. Three affordance typologies are proposed to understand user-object interactions in these spaces where affordances become invitations to action, information for response tuning, and identity forged through social practice. Finally, the D.O.O.R. evaluation, a four-stage process involving deconstructing interactions into non-contact and contact phases, embracing unexpected insights during field observations, associating implied operations through semantics, and employing a cognitive ergonomics evaluation scale to refine designed affordances in an object, is introduced to guide designers in implementing these concepts to reduce the burden of cognitive friction in users. This research aims to contribute to the creation of cultural sensitivity in the design and engagement with objects in public spaces, enriching transient encounters for a wider range of users.