Human Factors (also known as ergonomics) is the application of scientific principles, methods, and data drawn from a variety of disciplines to the design, development, and evaluation of systems in which people play a significant role. Successful application of this information results in improved productivity and efficiency, increased safety, and ease of use. Some of the disciplines involved are psychology, cognitive science, anatomy and physiology, biomechanics, physical anthropology, and industrial, mechanical, and systems engineering. Human Factors specialists are united by a singular perspective on the system design process: that design begins with an understanding of the user’s role in overall system performance and that systems exist to serve their users, whether they are consumers, system operators, production workers, or maintenance crews. This user-oriented design philosophy acknowledges human variability as a design parameter, with an end goal of optimize the safety, productivity, and usability of systems by taking advantage of human capabilities and minimizing their limitations. To that end, there are currently 70 graduate and 17 undergraduate programs at U.S. colleges and universities that offer degrees in the field that are recognized by the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. There is also an internationally recognized certification in the field which is administered by the Board of Certification in Professional Ergonomics.