Product ergonomics that fits real people.

How a product is held, worn, carried, opened and cleaned decides whether people keep using it. We research, model and test ergonomics with real users, then design it in, so comfort survives engineering and manufacturing.

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A cyclist wearing a massage backpack in traffic
3

body sizes the EUME backpack was fitted on before tooling

1

patented back mechanism, designed around the spine

21

industries, from wearables to medical devices

Unilever

trusted us with the grip of a mass-market Pepsodent toothbrush

Trusted by global brands and 80+ founders

  • Panasonic, an Analogy Design client
  • Google, an Analogy Design client
  • Unilever, an Analogy Design client
  • Mondelēz, an Analogy Design client
  • Maersk, an Analogy Design client
  • Aprilia Racing, an Analogy Design client
  • Marvel, an Analogy Design client
  • Borosil, an Analogy Design client
  • boAt, an Analogy Design client
Bhupinder Singh, Chief Product Officer, WildcraftProduct chief, outdoor gearBhupinder SinghChief Product Officer, Wildcraft
“This journey was a discovery for me and our teams, setting the tone for future products and connecting us with consumers. Thanks to Analogy for their support and excellent work.”

Further reviews from founders and brands

Discomfort is the quietest reason products fail.

Nobody writes a review saying the grip was four millimetres too wide. They just stop using it.

Ergonomics is usually checked at the end, on a finished prototype, when changing it means redesigning everything. We bring it in at concept, test it with foam and printed models while it’s cheap, and keep checking it through engineering.

The grip designed on screen

Looks balanced in CAD, tires the hand in ten minutes.

The user who isn’t you

Designed around the team’s hands and bodies, not the people who will buy it.

The strap, button or lid nobody tested

Small details people touch every day decide whether they love the product.

The fix that broke the design

Ergonomics added late usually means a bigger, clumsier product.

What product ergonomics includes

Five pieces of work that make comfort and usability a design input, not a late correction.

An office worker at a desk holding their lower back

Ergonomic research

Who uses it, where, for how long and with what: user observation, body-size data and task analysis to set the right dimensions from the start.

Phase 1
01 / 05Next ↓
Research with commuters wearing backpacks, with sketches and notes

Foam and printed models

Quick foam, card and 3D-printed models to test grip, reach, weight and posture, the cheapest ergonomic test there is.

02 / 05Next ↓
A traveller wearing a sleep mask on a plane

User testing

Real users try real tasks with each round of models, so decisions come from how people move, not opinions.

03 / 05Next ↓
Toothbrush colourways and a hand gripping a prototype handle

Design and engineering

Findings turned into form, controls and mechanisms with our industrial designers and engineers, checked against what the factory can make.

Phases 1–2
Explore industrial design
04 / 05Next ↓
People working out at home with fitness equipment

Validation before tooling

A final ergonomic check on working prototypes before tooling, so comfort isn’t traded away in the last engineering changes.

Phase 2
05 / 05Next: how it runs ↓

Where it fits

Ergonomics runs through phases 1 and 2 of Product Path™.

It starts with research in concept and is checked again on every prototype. When we design your product, it’s included in phase pricing.

Phase 1

Concept and strategy

This service starts here: research, body data and foam models before the form is fixed.

Phase 2

Engineering and prototyping

Printed models and prototypes tested with the people who will use them.

Phase 3

Manufacturing and scaling

Fit and comfort protected through tooling, materials and soft-goods production.

Phase 4

Launch

Comfort claims you can make on the box, backed by real tests.

Ergonomics, step by step

How we design for comfort

How a product is fitted to real people, from observation to validation. Swipe or scroll sideways, or jump to a step.

Observe

Removes the risk that you design for the wrong body.

X-ray style illustration of the airway during sleep
The decision

Who uses it, how, where and for how long?

You walk away with

User observation, task analysis and target dimensions.

How long

1–2 weeks

Model

Removes the risk that you commit to a shape that tires the hand.

A toothbrush with an angled neck reaching the back molars
The decision

Which forms feel right in the hand, on the body or at the counter?

You walk away with

Rounds of foam and printed models, each tested with users.

How long

1–3 weeks

Design in

Removes the risk that comfort gets lost in engineering.

Earbud fit studies and an earbud worn in the ear
The decision

Do the form, controls and mechanisms carry the ergonomic findings?

You walk away with

Refined CAD with ergonomic requirements built in, reviewed with engineering.

How long

2–4 weeks

Validate

Removes the risk that people stop using it.

A man wearing a full blackout sleep mask
The decision

Does the working prototype pass with real users?

You walk away with

An ergonomic test report on working prototypes and final design changes before tooling.

How long

1–2 weeks

Is ergonomics where you should start?

If people will hold, wear or use your product for long, ergonomics belongs at the start. Here’s where we’d point you.

A product people find uncomfortableProduct ergonomics
Something people hold or wear for hoursProduct ergonomics
Returns or reviews that mention fitProduct ergonomics review
A wearable with no form yetConcept design
A comfortable prototype that can’t be madeDesign for manufacturing

What ergonomic design costs, before you have to ask

No hourly billing. When we design your product, ergonomics is part of the phase price.

Ergonomics is included in Product Path™ phase pricing when we design your product. For an ergonomic review or redesign of an existing product, we scope a custom proposal after a free call.

Scope and price are agreed before work starts.

What changes the scope of ergonomics work

Where your ergonomics work lands comes down to six things.

User groups

Children, older users or clinicians each need their own research and testing.

Rounds of models

Most products need a few rounds of foam and printed models.

Testing setting

Studio tests are quickest. Homes, clinics or workplaces take longer and tell you more.

Body contact

Products worn on the body need fit testing across sizes.

Medical or children’s use

Clinicians, patients and children each bring standards and documentation to plan for.

Starting point

An existing product or prototype can go straight into user testing.

What you walk away with

Research findings, target dimensions, test results and design changes, all yours to use with us or anyone else.

Want a quick read on fit? Start with an ergonomics sprint

A small fixed-fee sprint tests your current product or prototype with real users in two or three weeks and tells you what to change. Start a phase within six months and the sprint fee comes off the price.

Why founders design ergonomics with a studio, not a consultant

Ergonomics, design and engineering in one team

Findings go straight into the CAD, not into a report nobody reads.

Tested in foam before it’s engineered

The cheapest models catch the most expensive mistakes.

Experience across the body

Backpacks, glasses, toothbrushes, fitness equipment and medical devices.

Ergonomics: a human factors consultant, a designer, or us
QuestionA human factors consultantA freelance designerAnalogy
Who turns findings into designA report you pass onOne person’s judgementThe same team that tests it designs it
How fit is testedLab studiesOn themselvesFoam and printed models with real users, in context
Who checks it can be madeNot in scopeRarelyOur engineers, before the design is fixed
Body-worn experienceVariesVariesBackpacks, sleep masks, eyewear and earbuds

Ergonomic design for US founders, without the Bay Area price

Fit testing needs US users when your buyers are in the US. Here’s how we run it.

Testing with your customers

We send models to US users and run remote fit sessions with them and you.

Sizing for US bodies

Target dimensions are set against the population you sell to, not the one we sit in.

Findings you can share

Test results and target dimensions are written up for your team, investors or regulators.

Where we’ve designed for the body

Bags and backpacksSleep productsOral careEyewearEarbudsMedical devices

Guides on designing for people

Reading on designing for real people. All articles

ErgonomicsHuman-centric design in backpacksRead the guideMedicalTop product design studios for medical devicesRead the guideFormThe Viking objects behind the Skara bottleRead the guide

Product ergonomics questions, answered

Have a fit or comfort question? Send it, with photos of the product if you can.

What is product ergonomics?

Product ergonomics designs a product around the people who use it: their bodies, movements, strength and habits, so it’s comfortable, safe and easy to use.

What do product ergonomics services include?

User research and task analysis, target dimensions, foam and printed models, user testing, design changes with our industrial designers and engineers, and validation on working prototypes.

What is the difference between ergonomics and human factors?

They overlap. Ergonomics is often used for physical fit and comfort, human factors for how people perceive, decide and make mistakes. We look at both.

How much do product ergonomics services cost?

Ergonomics is included in Product Path™ phase pricing when we design your product. A review or redesign of an existing product is scoped as a custom proposal after a free call.

How long does ergonomic design take?

Usually a few weeks within concept and industrial design, plus a validation round on working prototypes before tooling.

When should ergonomics start?

At concept, before the form is fixed. That’s when changes cost almost nothing.

Can you improve the ergonomics of an existing product?

Yes. We test what you have with real users, find what causes discomfort or confusion, and redesign it with your existing tooling in mind where possible.

How do you test ergonomics?

With foam, card and 3D-printed models early, and working prototypes later, tested with real users doing real tasks.

Do you design ergonomics for medical devices?

Yes. We’ve designed for clinicians and patients, including a mobile dental clinic, and plan for the relevant standards from the start.

Do you design wearables?

Yes, including smart glasses, backpacks and products worn on the body, with fit testing across sizes.

Who owns the research and test results?

You do. Research findings, target dimensions, test results and design changes are yours, and we sign an NDA before you share anything sensitive.

Can you test with users in the US?

Yes. We ship models to US users and run remote fit sessions, so the product is shaped for the people who will buy it.

Bring us the product people should love holding.

A concept, a prototype that feels wrong, or a product with comfort complaints. In 30 minutes we’ll tell you what to test, what to change and roughly what it costs.

If your product needs a bigger rethink than ergonomics can fix, we’ll say so.