What is ergonomics anyway?

​The word ergonomics was coined in the 1950s, based on the Greek word ‘ergon’,
meaning work. It’s the study of how to make equipment and furniture that help us to
do things more efficiently and more comfortably.

The human body has evolved to be in, if not constant, then frequent movement. Our
ancestors were nomadic, walking long distances, carrying their homes, goods and
babies with them, foraging as they went and occasionally chasing animals along the
way. We, on the other hand, often spend several hours a day sitting still at our desks,
which is a fairly ‘unnatural’ position for our bodies. The design of a lot of work-related
furniture makes the problem even worse. Laptops, especially, encourage a constant
downward bending of the neck, as well as a tendency for our eyes to be too close to
the screen, and give a fixed keyboard position that can’t be adjusted.

In the short term, this causes stiffness, aches and pains, and tired eyes, all of which
sap our attention and creativity and make work more of a drudge than it needs to be.
In the longer term, poor posture and a greater risk of musculoskeletal disorders loom
on the horizon, making us old and creaky before our time.

The ili lapstop stand, thankfully, is designed with good ergonomics in mind, allowing
you to move your screen and keyboard to a comfortable position for you, reducing
strain, and helping to make work fun again. (Well, a little bit more fun, at least.)

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