Design decisions made without human data carry real risk
Products and tools that look good in CAD models don't always perform well in human hands. Grip forces, awkward postures, vibration exposure, and sustained pressure against soft tissue are impossible to predict from a drawing - they have to be measured.
ETC specializes in applying objective measurement technologies to assess the human response to product, tool, and equipment design. Analyses are conducted in ETC's laboratory or on-site at client facilities - giving manufacturers and designers the evidence they need to make confident, defensible decisions at every stage of product development.
The results are used to improve designs for user comfort and efficiency, while reducing fatigue potential, injury risk, and liability exposure. Whether evaluating an existing product, comparing against competitors, or validating a new design before launch, ETC delivers the technical rigor that replaces assumption with evidence.
Objective, validated measurement methods
ETC applies a comprehensive suite of validated measurement technologies - selected and combined based on the specific demands of each product assessment:
Muscle effort testing (EMG)
Segmental and whole-body electromyography to quantify muscle activation and fatigue during product use
Dynamic postural measurement
Real-time capture and analysis of body posture during task performance - identifying awkward positions and sustained deviations
Contact pressure mapping
High-resolution pressure distribution measurement across hand-tool and body-surface interfaces - identifying harmful contact stress concentrations
Vibration analysis
Whole-body vibration (WBV) and hand/arm vibration (HAV) measurement and analysis per ISO 5349 and ISO 2631 standards
3-D motion tracking
Full-body 3D kinematic capture for biomechanical analysis, human modeling, and joint load assessment
Heart rate monitoring
Cardiovascular workload measurement to assess physiological demand and fatigue during sustained or strenuous product use
Global anthropometric analysis
Population-level dimensional analysis ensuring product fit across the full range of target user body sizes and proportions
Subjective comfort surveys
Validated psychophysical scales capturing user-reported comfort, discomfort, effort, and usability across representative subject populations
Statistical analysis
Correlation, significance testing, and multivariate analysis to identify meaningful performance differences between product designs
Three ways ETC assesses your product
Best-in-Class Product Analysis
Competitive ergonomic benchmarking
A Best-in-Class Analysis is a side-by-side, rank-ordered ergonomic assessment of your product against competing products. Using both subjective evaluation and objective measurement with ETC's patented technologies, the analysis quantifies exactly where your product outperforms competitors - and where it doesn't.
Best-in-Class Analysis should be performed at two critical stages: during new product concept development, to establish baseline understanding of the competitive landscape; and before product launch, to verify that design goals have been met and that your product genuinely surpasses the competition.
- Subjective evaluation - fit, comfort, and usability across representative users
- Objective measurement using ETC's patented laboratory technologies
- Representative user subjects drawn from the target population
- Quantified performance ranking with statistical significance testing
- Clear documentation of competitive advantages and design gaps
- Actionable design recommendations based on measured findings
Heuristic Expert Review
Independent ergonomic critique by certified specialists
ETC's Heuristic Expert Review is a structured ergonomic analysis of a product or tool based on established human factors principles, without requiring instrumented laboratory testing. It is a fast, cost-effective way to identify ergonomic issues early in the design process - or to evaluate an existing product prior to a more comprehensive assessment.
The review is conducted by Certified Professional Ergonomists with direct experience in the relevant product category, ensuring that findings reflect real-world use conditions rather than theoretical criteria alone.
- Product dimensions and physical fit for target user population
- Comfort and usability of key features and interfaces
- Adjustability range and accessibility of controls
- Grip design, handle geometry, and contact surface evaluation
- Force requirements and activation effort assessment
- Labeling, visual display, and user instruction clarity
New Product Design Assessment
Ergonomic evaluation at every development stage
ETC provides ergonomic assessment and specification at every stage of the new product development process - from early concept review through prototype testing and pre-launch validation. Integrating ergonomics early in development is significantly more cost-effective than redesigning after production tooling is set.
Assessments can be performed using physical prototypes, CAD models for human factors review, or production-intent samples - at ETC's laboratory or on-site at your facility.
- Concept review against anthropometric and biomechanical standards
- Prototype evaluation with representative user subjects
- Design iteration support and specification refinement
- Pre-launch validation against design goals and competitive benchmark
- Post-launch assessment and field complaint investigation
- Ergonomic product specifications for procurement and manufacturing
The ETC Ergonomic Certification
Official ETC Seal
Independent certification your product can stand behind
ETC certifies products as ergonomic based on independent testing conducted in ETC's accredited laboratory. The ETC Ergonomic Certification seal signifies that a product has been objectively assessed against established human factors standards - and has met those standards for user comfort, fit, and performance.
Certification provides manufacturers with a defensible, independent claim of ergonomic performance - distinct from self-assessed or marketing-generated ergonomic labels. It supports product differentiation, supports procurement decisions, and provides a basis for defending product liability claims.
The certification process uses the same objective measurement technologies applied in ETC's full product assessment services - EMG, pressure mapping, motion analysis, and validated subjective evaluation with representative users.
Award-winning products designed with ETC
After incorporating ETC's ergonomic analysis and specifications into their product designs, several clients have been recognized with prestigious design awards:
Gold IDEA Award
DeWalt hand-held pistol grip pneumatic tool - awarded a Gold Industrial Design Excellence Award (IDEA) by Business Week and the Industrial Designers Society of America.
Silver IDEA Award
LS 4000 Hand Held Scanner - awarded a Silver IDEA award, co-sponsored by Business Week and IDSA, for products exceeding rigorous design standards.
Excellence in Design Award
D Series electric pistol tool - received the 10th Annual Excellence in Design Award from AM Magazine for outstanding industrial tool design.
NIOSH Validated
Ovation Bionatural Pipette - NIOSH concluded the product "showed a significant reduction in the most important MSD risk factors for pipetting."
Product categories we assess
ETC's product design services span virtually every category of tool, equipment, and consumer product - anywhere human performance, comfort, and safety depend on thoughtful design: