Ester Iacono

The chapter “Intervention Cases” presents a selection of applied projects in which the principles of ergonomics and Human-Centred Design are translated into real design solutions. Through the analysis of user needs, activities, and contexts of use, innovative proposals have been developed in various fields, ranging from domestic kitchen environments to urban mobility, workplace settings, recreational vehicles, and outdoor physical activity systems. These case studies demonstrate how the integration of ergonomic research and design can enhance functionality, comfort, accessibility, and sustainability of products and spaces. Overall, the chapter highlights the strategic value of a people-centered design approach in guiding effective and meaningful innovation.

When it comes to the healthcare system, it is not difficult to imagine how much anxiety, frustration, pain and many other feelings can arise when dealing with it. Often, even medical equipment (MRI scanners, ventilators, ultrasound machines, etc.) can make people feel threatened instead of positive. This is because of the focus on how stuff works and not paying enough attention to how the shape of things can send a message and how the healthcare environment can make people feel. These emotions are amplified if the patient is a child, who needs a healthcare system that takes into account their needs, feelings and opinions. Through the analysis of several case studies, the article illustrates: a) the contribution of emotional design within the paediatric-hospital context in reducing negative emotions and ensuring health and healing; b) the importance for designers to include emotions throughout the design process and influence the emotional impact of their projects.

In the wake of recent developments in the field of New Media Studies, Game Studies and Narratology, this essay aims to highlight some of principles useful to recognizing an educational simulation game when it is wellmade. Starting from the assumption that a game is a system based on rules and mechanics, and that their typology makes it more or less effective, more or less engaging and intense, more or less formative, the essay wants to analyze the principles related to content (narration) that are best suited to provide an appropriate simulation learning experience. For these reasons, the research analyzes of a selection of current educational Serious Games and compare their contents with the Procedural Rhetoric Theory (PRT) proposed by the game designer Bogost (2007). This theory identifies in the video game a system of rules and mechanics that is based on the rhetoric linguistic techniques of translated into a computational procedure. According to the PRT, games can exercise a good persuasion provided that the gameplay features a meaningful representation of this underlying procedure. To support these principles conceptually, the essay analyze also the pedagogical side of the contents and present some of the “36 Learning Principles” proposed by Gee (2007) will be used. This model proposes specific characteristics of each learning dimension and contributes to defines the principles of a wellmade learning experience. Considering the Serious Games analyzed through the lens of the PRT and the 36LP, the article aims to identify a series of rhetorical procedural principles relevant to the design of the educational content of a serious game.

The book presents contributions submitted at the Conference "Designing for Inclusive Learning Experience", which was held in Florence on May 10, 2019, at the Department of Architecture DIDA of the University of Florence. The conference main topics regard the application of Ergonomics and Human Factors to Education, Gamification and Inclusion. The conference is a Multiplier Event of the european project "PUDCAD, Practicing Universal Design Principles in Design Education through a CAD-Based Game", founded by Erasmus+ Program KA203 and conducted by the Center for European Union Education and Youth Programs.

For the past few years, cultural and technological progress has allowed premature newborns greater possibilities for survival. Since not all the infants are born in hospitals that can provide appropriate treatments, 2–2,5% of newborns need to be transferred. The aim of this design research is to give comfort to the newborn, as well as to give healthcare professionals better working conditions in order to facilitate their interactions and reduce errors during all the transportation phases. This research used methodologies of “Human-Centred Design”, focusing on direct and indirect users’ needs, skills and different points of view of professionals involved in the design or planning of the products/services. By conducting field surveys at the Meyer Children’s Hospital, useful data has been collected to address some of the problems related to neonatal transportation by combining users’ needs with technology. The collected information allowed an analysis of users’ behavior, their needs and the frequency of errors during the performance of tasks, evaluating critical issues of actual products/systems and defining new requirements. The research has focused on understanding the current user incubator interface and on evaluating its emotional impact on users. Indeed, incubators can be very unwieldy and hard to manage during transportation. This approach has led to developing new solutions to better meet the needs of healthcare professionals. By synthesizing the obtained results, it has been possible to set up new solutions which lead to the design of a new incubator for premature or pathological newborn transportation.

Nowadays, the spread of digital technologies is one of the most significant phenomena that is changing our daily activities, social and working habits and, consequently, the domestic environ- ment. Worldwide, the digital revolution is gener- ating considerable transformations, improving the quality of life of human beings. Domestic environments are pursuing digitalisa- tion, and the "product" is no longer just a physical object, but it is becoming a digital, dynamic and flexible container. Technology has to find a place in domestic environments and these, in turn, have to adapt themselves to new technologies. In this scenario, Design, in particular the Interac- tion Design and Design Ergonomics methods, are strategic factors and added values for the innova- tion. They have the opportunity to challenge the status quo of the domestic environment and can offer their contribution through the creation of products-services and systems focused on people’s needs and expectations. This paper presents the results of the design experimentation conducted, together with some international students with- in the Arts Abroad Project (AAP) program, on the theme of Interaction Design: High-tech products and interfaces in the domestic environments.

The chapter "Cases of intervention" presents a selection of application projects in which the principles of ergonomics and Human-Centred Design have been translated into real design solutions. Through the analysis of users' needs, activities and conditions of use, innovative proposals have been developed in various fields, from domestic kitchens to urban mobility, from work environments to the design of recreational vehicles, and even systems for outdoor physical activity. The cases illustrate how the integration of ergonomic research and design can improve the functionality, comfort, accessibility and sustainability of products and spaces, demonstrating in concrete terms the strategic value of people-centred design in innovation processes.

The collective Italian identity is the result of a way of life and culture so unique that it has spread a truly 'all-Italian' modus of living and inhabiting space. In our country, alongside the great cities of art that represent the central and pulsating hub of cultural heritage, there are a large number of small and medium-sized urban centres that deserve credit for contributing to the 'coherence' and cohesive strength of our territory's identity. It is true, however, that despite their precious past and their connection to a wider context, many small Italian towns today find themselves isolated and destined to be swallowed up by larger entities. The preservation of a historic centre cannot be achieved solely through the conservation of the surrounding architectural core, but must also take into account the balance between public and private space, work activities and the needs of individuals as citizens. This type of approach is the basis of the research presented in this article, which focuses on the project to enhance the historic centre of the town of Figline Valdarno, a small municipality in the province of Florence.