Is it Ergo? - the stylus

Someone asked me this question last weekend.  Is a stylus ergonomic?  I love this question because it puts the definition of ergonomics to the test!

Ergonomics = The study of people's efficiency in their environment.

If we reword the question to - Is a stylus efficient? - it will be an easy one to answer.

I like looking at it from the efficiency angle, because often when people think of "ergonomic" they only think of the benefit for the body.  But, in reality if something is better for your body, but it slows you down to the point where you're frustrated or stressed by it, then the 'bad' outweighs the 'good'. 

Ergonomics is not just about your body, but also your mind and your overall well being.

Coming back to the stylus...

What is a stylus?  Why use one?

It's basically a non-marking pen, with a rubber or plastic tip where the ink would be. They're used in place of your finger when working on a touch screen surface (e.g., tablet, smartphone, etc.). They're used in place of a mouse, in conjunction with a graphics tablet (i.e., a responsive surface that comes with the stylus).

Here are a few use cases to test the definition of ergonomics as it applies to a stylus:

At the sign-in counter of a local gym, they have an iPad for registration and there is a stylus right there for you to use.  No. One. Uses. It.  Why not?  Because it's not efficient. People are in a hurry to get to their workout and picking up that tool to just tap a few boxes seems too slow.

Verdict = Not ergonomic

My 90-year old mother in law uses a stylus to type on her iPad and iPhone5 (i.e., small screen!) - the posture is much more comfortable for her and she has better dexterity with a stylus than with her shaky arthritic hands. She's not in a hurry to go anywhere and she types really slowly. So for her, the time to use the stylus is totally worth the benefit to her body.  For the rest of us, it would slow us down way too much to be worth it.

Verdict for Grandma = Ergonomic

Verdict for most other users = Not ergonomic

At your company's cafeteria checkout line, the person ringing you up does it all through a touchscreen system.  He has no leg room because of the way the workstation is set up, so as he sits there his knees bump into the cabinets and he has to lean his body forward and reach his arm forward to tap the screen.  When he uses a stylus, it extends his reach by several inches, which lets his arm relax.  He can hold it in his hand the whole time and it makes his job so much faster and more comfortable. 

Verdict = Ergonomic

A graphics designer friend of mine uses a stylus with a graphics tablet to do her computer drawing,  The alternative to this would be to draw with a mouse. Drawing requires extreme precision.  Our bodies perform precision tasks best when our hands are in a pinch grip instead of a wider grip.  [ever try signing your name in a small spot with a giant over sized pen?].  Using a stylus for her job allows her to complete her tasks without strain and even though she has to set the stylus down intermittently to type on her keyboard, the benefits outweigh the costs, therefore it is efficient. 

Verdict = Ergonomic

Side note about  pens - a truly ergonomic pen is not too narrow.  Something with a slightly wider and padded grip will minimize strain.  

So, the final verdict  = It depends

Don't you love that answer?  By form, the stylus is an ergonomic design for your body because it puts the hand and wrist in a relatively natural posture, compared to a traditional mouse.  But a stylus is only a truly ergonomic solution if it makes your life or work easier and not the other way around.