Ergonomics is the science of designing machines and environments that are well suited to the people working with them. Ergonomics, or human factors, considers the design of machines, workspaces, jobs, health issues, and the human-machine interfaces. For example, an ergonomic design of an automobile's dashboard means that the controls can be reached easily and that all displays are visible for a range of drivers, whether they are 1.83 meter (6 foot) tall men or 1.52 meter (5 foot) tall women. Since the last decade of the twentieth century, ergonomics has become an important issue in the use of computer technology.

Before the start of World War II, emphasis was placed on conditioning people to fit the machines in their lives. Machines were created, then human beings were trained to operate them according to the machine's requirements; an example of this is training pilots to fly complex airplanes. However...