Complex Products
What We Do
We help successful high-technology companies and leading startups develop product design solutions that deliver verified levels of overall UX performance.
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With the onset of robust international competition and an increasingly complex intellectual property environment, product design consulting has taken on a new level of complexity. We have extensive experience in product design covering innovations related to product aesthetics, ergonomics and human factors engineering and intellectual property. We offer you and your development team exceptional depth and expertise in the design of complex products that require high levels of formal usability engineering research and user testing. Our expertise extends to product and process design for complex use-cases and governmental product design guidelines like those provided by the FDA and DOD. We are highly experienced in the design of products that must deliver verified levels of user acceptance and ease of use. Our usability testing expertise is without peer in the consulting product design category.
How We Work
We apply rigorous human factors engineering and ergonomic methods in the creation of easy to use and empowering product design solutions to complex business problems.
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All major product design programs executed by MUS employ a formal and industry-proven research methodology which combines user needs analysis, field studies, formal usability engineering, use-case modeling and product configuration testing. We employ the latest CAD technology to produce robust design alternatives for use in formal trade-off analysis. We are uniquely qualified to provide formal usability engineering, ergonomics and user testing of proposed product design configurations. We combine expertise from other areas of professional practice to solve complex man-machine product design problems.
MUS offers clients specialized experience in IP matters related to product design. President and Founder, Charles L Mauro is a leading expert witness in major design patent and trade dress litigation. He has served as either a consulting or testifying expert for leading international corporations in over 75 cases. Mr. Mauro is Chairman of the IDSA Design Protection Section and has spoken at USPTO Design Day and leading law schools including Stanford, Fordham, NYU and UC Berkeley, among others.
Users We Design For
Founded in 1975, we have designed for many diverse user profiles ranging from those with special needs to elite athletes. Our focus on professional human factors engineering research methods ensures that whom we are designing for drives design decision-making.
Products We Design
We specialize in complex product design problems that require and benefit from our specialized expertise in human factors engineering and usability research. Such systems often require achieving an empowering balance between human expertise and machine-based functionality.
Consumer products
- Electronics
- Housewares
- Photography
- Communications
We have a wide range of expertise in the design and testing of consumer products across a significant range of industry sectors. We are especially effective with more complex consumer products that require rigorous HFE methods and related testing.
Commercial products
- Office seating / systems
- Transportation
- Financial services
- Emergency response
We have deep experience in commercial product design and user testing programs. We have extensive knowledge designing and testing of ergonomic seating and complex workstations for commercial applications.
Industrial Products
- Heavy equipment
- Agricultural
- Production systems
- Process Control
We are experts in conducting HFE research on heavy industrial applications that range from equipment and operator workstation design to large-scale production optimization programs. Our expertise in this area spans both product and workstation design.
Medical Products
- Consumer drug delivery
- Complex imaging
- OR and Surgery
- Diagnostics
We combine rigorous and science-based user testing and research with product design expertise to solve complex medical product design problems. Click here to view our special section on Medical Product Optimization.
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We have worked on products in categories ranging from high performance miniaturize hand-held devices to large-scale construction equipment. We have widespread experience in designing hand-held products that include medical equipment. Our specialization is combining professional human factors engineering/ergonomic research with product design and development.
Additional Expertise In Workstation Design
Ergonomic Workstation Design
The design and optimization of all manner of employee workstation/workgroup design have become increasingly important in achieving commercial success. MUS has a broad range of experience in high-performance workstation design covering innovations related to physical design, aesthetics, ergonomics and human factors engineering.
Our Experience In Workstation Design
We are very experienced with complex workgroup workstation design problems. We have a broad workstation category experience ranging from high-performance Wall Street trading systems, special aerospace applications, large-volume specialized production and assembly workstations and large-scale corporate space planning applications covering all major job categories ranging from administration to top management. We are especially adept at complex large-scale workstation design projects that require high levels of usability and ergonomic performance. Our specialization is in combining professional human factors engineering/ergonomic research with workstation design and development.
Workstation Design Methodology
All major workstation design programs executed by MUS employ a formal and industry-proven research methodology which combines user needs analysis, field studies, formal usability engineering, use-case modeling, and workstation configuration testing. We employ the latest CAD technology to produce robust design alternatives for use in formal trade-off analysis. We are uniquely qualified to provide formal usability engineering, ergonomics and user testing of proposed workstation design configurations.
Workstation Production and Prototype Testing
We have formal working relationships with high-end workstation production prototype vendors and routinely works with such vendors to produce all levels of workstation concept testing, pre-production prototype development, and production coordination. We also have extensive working experience with factors related to ergonomic seating, lighting, acoustics and related workstation variables,
Projects
The following project thumbnails cover high-profile and other relevant program experience.
Product Design
Complex Hand-Held Systems
1
Executed complex projects focused specifically on optimization of hand-held products and related applications. Have undertaken extensive HFE analysis, design and testing of hand-held product design applications covering trading interfaces, surgical devices, drug delivery devices and hand controls (many applications). Clients include: Motorola, Samsung, Pfizer and other leading high tech entities.
Consumer Products
2
Conducted product design programs for leading consumer product entities including execution of complex consumer needs analysis, product concept development, simulation design and user testing for consumer electronics, personal care, health and beauty, cosmetics, major appliances, furniture and fixtures. Clients include Sony, LG, Philips, Samsung, Este Lauder, Ralph Lauren and other leading entities.
Complex Medical Systems
3
Executed product design programs for leading medical and pharmaceutical clients covering complex clinical modalities including: imaging, drug delivery, surgical, emergency processes and patient management systems related to FDA HE 75 requirements and testing procedures. Clients include Pfizer, Becton Dickenson, Johnson and Johnson, Raytheon, GE and others.
Contact Furniture & Seating
4
Executed large-scale human factors engineering analysis and design development programs covering open office systems, lighting and seating for leading contract manufacturers including Steelcase, Herman Miller, Knoll, Haworth, KI International. Working with leading architects, also executed complex, large-workgroup research and space planning programs for specialized corporate functions including R&D, engineering, marketing and product design teams at various world headquarters for major corporate clients.
Complex Process Control
5
Have undertaken complex projects in the process control industry: paper and sheet material production, electric power generation (fossil and nuclear), mining, large-scale pumping applications and telecommunications. Field research has included work with represented workers in several industry sectors. Clients include: Weir Minerals, Louisiana Power and Light, New Jersey Power and Light, ABB Accuray and others.
Emergency Response Systems
6
Executed product design projects related to emergency systems including hardware and software applications. Experience includes communications devices, event tracking systems and displays (fixed and display-based), injury support devices and related hardware and emergency HFE process design. Clients include: Motorola, ADT, AT&T, Ebasco Services and other entities.
Executive Workstation Design
7
In collaboration with leading architectural firms created executive office configurations based on advanced ergonomics and decision. MNM developed ergonomic executive workstations to reduce existing instances of repetitive motion disorders in top executives. Also provided furniture/fixture specifications for special applications and tracked solution performance through on-going executive surveys.
NASA Workstations
8
Conducted extensive user needs analysis with Shuttle communications teams. Developed enhanced workstation and workgroup solutions. Produced extensive, full-scale simulations and related human factors performance verification testing. Provided detailed control room layout design to improve cross-task workload sharing and during critical mission transitions and related training.
Niagara Mohawk Power
9
Working in collaboration with NM engineering MNM executed complex cognitive task analysis of power management grid during normal and extreme load conditions. Provided detailed HFE enhancements to visual display design, operator training and control room layouts for critical facilities on power grid. Verified performance through simulation and user testing.
JI Case
10
Working with multiple large engineering teams executed complex human factors analysis and design solutions for several generations and numerous categories of heavy industrial and farm equipment operator environments and cabs based on US and International safety and ergonomic standards. Integrated new complex GPS-based automation systems into operator decision flows through HFE analysis and simulation development.
Process Control Applications
11
Executed on-site research with machine crews in high volume production environments. Developed harsh-environment workstation design integrated with HFE optimized GUI. Design solution provided machine crews with highly flexible and secure workstation for management of complex machine functions including visual and physical access to critical information at long viewing distances and in rapid response frameworks.
Longaberger Inc.
12
Working with large internal engineering team executed complex ergonomic analysis of micro-assembly task with high previous incidence of ergonomic factors. Created new ergonomic workstation design that mitigated or eliminated key risk factors. Trained large internal team on ergonomic science and applications. Tested all solutions for ergonomic performance over several iterations using advanced testing methods and sampling strategies.