EVERYBODY™ Digital Mannequins

The vast majority of the products we design are directly used by humans. That interaction is not incidental; it is often the central reason the product exists. Whether it’s a handheld medical device, a workstation, or safety equipment like a fire extinguisher, the human interface drives many of the design decisions that follow. Geometry, mechanisms, materials, tolerances – all of it ultimately serves the way a person grips, reaches, sees, moves, or applies force while using the product. 

Because of that, ergonomics and human factors are not specialist add-ons for us. They are a core part of our design work, underpinned by strong in-house expertise, established workflows, and a suite of tools that allow us to carry out rigorous ergonomic analyses within the practical time constraints of real-world projects. We apply human factors analysis early to support concept selection and assess feasibility, and again later to inform and validate embodiment design. Many of our clients come to us specifically because they want that human-centred approach applied rigorously and consistently. Improving comfort, safety, usability, and long-term health outcomes is often the reason a project is commissioned.

To build on these capabilities, we’ve developed the EVERYBODY™ Digital Mannequins, a system of 3D anthropometric human models. The mannequins are data-driven and fully customisable, allowing us to tailor the parameters beyond what would be possible with off-the-shelf tools. The mannequins are used alongside our existing 2D and real-world human factors methods, extending our ability to consider ergonomics throughout the design process. They allow ergonomic assessment to take place in three-dimensional space, integrated directly into concept and embodiment design, and across a wider range of real body types than is typically practical with existing tools. These capabilities allow us to spot and improve awkward user interactions in the digital design, much earlier than testing of prototypes with user focus groups. This helps avoid costly design iteration cycles. 

A key capability of the EVERYBODY™ system is the degree of customisation it offers. The mannequins are fully parameterised solid models driven by anthropometric data, with body dimensions expressed as proportions of height. This allows us to generate cohesive male and female body types at different percentiles and for different populations, and to create mannequins tailored to the specific user group for a given product, on demand. Individual parameters can be adjusted independently, which is critical when exploring realistic “worst-case” combinations rather than relying on a single abstract percentile. In practice, this might mean assessing reach and posture for a shorter user with a larger abdomen, or seating position and legroom for a taller user with a shorter torso. This level of flexibility allows us to account for human variability explicitly from the start of a project rather than treating it as an afterthought.

The second major benefit is how naturally the mannequins fit into the way we design. Because they sit in the same CAD environment as the product, ergonomics can be considered continuously as geometry evolves, in addition to the focused analysis carried out by our Human Factors team at design milestones. Having an accurate anthropometric reference directly within CAD also helps maintain a reliable sense of scale, which can be easy to lose in the endless zoom of CAD, whether working on a small medical device or a large transport system. The mannequins are assembled and mated for intuitive positioning using standard CAD tools, making them straightforward to use without specialist setup. Poses can be stored as configurations and reused across different body types, supporting clear, like-for-like comparison. This makes it easier to revisit assumptions, compare options, and identify issues early and often as the design develops. 

A third, more pragmatic advantage is that the EVERYBODY™ mannequins have been deliberately designed to have a neutral aesthetic. Because they draw inspiration from crash test dummies, dress forms, and fashion mannequins rather than aiming for a hyper-realistic level of detail, they avoid the uncanny-valley effect common in many human representations – the unease provoked by figures that appear nearly, but not quite, human. This makes them suitable not just for analysis but also for communication, increasing their versatility: the same models can be used to support design decisions, to illustrate user interaction in client-facing material, and to help stakeholders understand scale, posture, and reach in a clear and credible way. They can also be 3D printed to scale to illustrate user interactions alongside scale models.

These capabilities build on approaches we already use successfully. Two-dimensional methods remain fast and effective for early-stage comparison of concepts and for verification on 2D drawings, and physical testing with representative users continues to provide essential real-world validation. Quantitative tools such as the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) have been instrumental in comparing the ergonomics of different postures and movements. The 3D mannequins integrate naturally with this workflow, generating joint angles that can be used directly as inputs for REBA analyses. They are not intended to replace existing methods, but to complement them by extending ergonomic thinking into 3D space and making it easier to apply consistently throughout a project. 

This is illustrated by a workstation redesign project involving a repetitive task performed over long shifts. Using our existing tools, human factors were considered from the early concept stage through embodiment design, with reach and posture assessed for different statures and REBA scores used to guide decisions. This led to a design that worked better, especially for shorter women, who formed a significant proportion of the workforce and were previously at greater risk of discomfort and injury. The new mannequin system allows this approach to be taken even further: ergonomics assessments can be carried out more frequently without exporting CAD, in three dimensions for complex movements, and for a greater range of body types and builds. 

The system is controlled entirely in-house and fits within our existing rigorous data management system and database workflow. EVERYBODY™ Mannequins can be configured as required for each project and exported when needed, with each instance carrying a unique identifier so that analyses can be traced back to specific parameter sets. This level of traceability supports clear cross-team collaboration and provides confidence in how ergonomic assessments have been carried out.

The system is already being used across a wide range of projects. In one medical project, a custom parameter profile was created for a particular combination of body dimensions which restricted visibility to the injection site. This level of customisation is not typically available in off-the-shelf tools. Fully articulated hands have proved particularly valuable on medical device projects where grip, finger reach, and hand posture are critical. In the transport sector, a presentation for a client meeting included a render showing a mannequin with a larger build using the product. This prompted a discussion about users with similar body types, who are often not given due consideration despite forming a significant portion of the user base. That moment captured exactly why the tool exists. 

Designing for real people has always been central to how DCA works. The EVERYBODY™ mannequin system expands how we apply human factors throughout design and broadens our ability to account for human variability. For our clients, it provides greater confidence in design decisions and helps issues be identified and addressed earlier in the design process.