Beyond the User

By Rachel A. Phillips

Introduce the designer selected and the reason for selection.

Bridget Pedicini graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 1984 with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. After graduating, she began working for Anatrol Corporation, a noise and vibrations consulting firm. While there, she worked on a variety of projects from power plants and diaper lines to cars and food processors. During each of these projects, she practiced user-centered design.

Bridget was chosen for several reasons. First, she is an engineer. Engineers and Industrial Designers work together closely, so it was fascinating to see the similarities in how these two fields practice user-centered design. Second, she was interviewed specifically because of her work with noise and vibrations and how that affected the user. During the interview, she pointed out that often she was designing for the factory workers and manufacturers as well as the consumers. This was intriguing, so the interviews began to adapt to focus on how user-centered design is not limited to designing for the consumer. Her work for a consultancy meant that she was working with the manufacturers and designing for both the consumers and even the factory workers.

Describe a project in which they practiced user-centered design.

While working for Anatrol, Bridget worked on a variety of projects that practiced user-centered design. One was a headliner for a car for a company called Arco. A headliner in a car is the ceiling on the inside that sits against the metal, and which previously provided no noise protection. The headliners were providing no shielding, so Bridget and her team test drove, took sound measurements, and came up with a solution. They strategically placed foam in between the headliner and the metal roof of the car in a way that would keep the cost down, while still reducing the amount of noise for the rider.

Another project that she worked on was a food processor. A company came to Anatrol with a food processor that they had designed. However, it had one major issue: it walked off the customer’s counter. Bridget and her team worked to develop a solution that would keep the processor from walking yet still be sturdy.

One major project in which she practiced user-centered design was a P&G diaper line in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. The noise levels for the factory workers did not meet OSHA standards. Bridget worked with a team to find the most cost-effective solution. She studied the lines, took measurements, and did research to determine the loudest parts of the line. Finally, they designed barriers and shielding for these parts.

This shielding had to be strategically placed along the diaper lines in ways that would not obstruct the workers. Bridget noted that if they had made the shielding difficult to work around, the workers would leave it open. That would make it ineffective, and the factory workers would still be suffering hearing loss.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention wrote, “Each year, an estimated 22 million U.S. workers are exposed to hazardous noise levels at work.” Still a form of user-centered design, Bridget’s work for the Pampers line focused more on this astounding statistic than the infant’s who would ultimately be wearing those diapers.

What user-centered design principles and methods did the designer utilize?

Bridget utilized several user-centered design principles and methods throughout her career. Since she was working directly with the manufacturers, she needed to pay attention to their specific parameters. When Bridget was working on the food processor, the company wanted a solution that would keep the food processor from walking off the counter, but they only wanted the feet to be modified. As a result, Bridget had to work with materiality to determine the best solution for the company. Bridget’s work led her to do a lot of hands-on research involving taking measurements. When developing shielding for the diaper line, she had a special focus on the level of noise the factory workers were being exposed to.

Whom were the designers target audience? What was their gender, generation, culture, and profession?

Since Anatrol was a consultancy, Bridget worked primarily with manufacturing firms. Her target audience changed from project to project, sometimes she was developing shielding in cars to bring down the noise level for the consumer, other times, she was working the improve the workplace for factory workers, and other times, she was working to keep kitchen projects safe and pleasant to use. As a result, she designed for a variety of genders, generations, cultures, and professions.

How did practicing user-centered design add value to the project as a whole?

Bridget’s practice of user-centered design added a lot of value to her projects as well as the people Anatrol consulted for. During an interview, Bridget said, “If Anatrol couldn’t solve [the manufacturer’s] problem, the manufacturer would have to go back and completely redesign the original.” Being a consulting firm, their goal was to please the people they worked for, and to provide effective and affordable solutions that would satisfy both the manufacturer and the consumer.

What are the key takeaways from this assignment?

This assignment taught me that user-centered designers exist across all majors, and that user-centered design can be practiced in many unique ways. User-centered designers aren’t always designing for the consumer. When Bridget was designing shielding for the diaper line, she wasn’t necessarily focused on the infant who would be wearing the diapers, but rather on the factory workers who would be producing those diapers.

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