Welcome!

On behalf of the Federal University of Maranhão in association with Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, I cordially invite you to participate in 8th ERGODESIGN Congress (8th International Congress of Ergonomics and Usability of Human-Technology Interfaces: Products, Information, Built Environment, Transportation) which has joined with the 1st Maranhense Symposium of Ergonomics, Workplace safety and Health, and 8th USIHC Congress (International Congress of Ergonomics and Usability, Design Interfaces and Human-Computer Interaction). ERGODESIGN 2008 Congress and 1st Maranhense Symposium of Ergonomics, Workplace safety and Health to be held in June 17-18, 2008 and USIHC 2008 Congress to be held in June 19-20, 2008 in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil.

The central theme will be Research and Development in Ergonomics and Design and the Conference topics will be:

ergonomics methodology; 2) postural constraints - consumer ergonomics; 3) automation and control systems design; 4) ergonomics and transportation systems; 5) Informational design, warnings; 6) environmental ergonomics; 7) Information processed by man: perception, cognition, signs, signals, symbols, hability, rules, knowledge; 8) workplace safety and health; 9) security; 10) legal aspects in ergonomics; 11) quality of life in workplace; 12) mental models; 13) users profile: Physical caracteristics, psycological caracteristics, cognitive styles, knowledge and experience, environment influence; 14) information architecture; 15) user navigation and orientation; 16) error messages; 17) Screen design; 18) Low-fidelity prototyping; 19) e-comerce, e-learning and e-government; 20) Intranets and dedicated websites; 21) general

The main Objectives of the Congress are:
To gather professionals from different technological areas that involves design and ergonomics activities concerning research and metodologies to propose changes in work conditions and quality of life of human being at work, home and leasure;
present and go into details of methodologies, methods an techniques that enphazise the user centered design and discuss difusion and implementation strategies.

The opening ceremony will take place on Monday, June 17, followed by a week of International and national plenary speeches, workshop sessions, oral technical sessions, posters session and Technical demonstration (cases) in ergonomics and workplace safety and health presented by Brazilian Industries.

My colleagues and I are both greatly honored and proud to host the ERGODESIGN and USIHC 2008 Congresses in São Luís, Maranhão, Brazil in the year 2008. São Luís, capital of Marahnão, is located in a transition area between northeast and northern regions of Brazil. São Luís is a marvelous city whith many attractive sightseeing places, as beautiful beaches and an ensemble of over 3,500 colonial buildings from the 17th and 18th centuries with uncountable architectural elements and details. We have exerted all our efforts to make this gathering a very rewarding and fruitful one socio-culturally as well as professionally and we sincerely hope that you will join us in making it success.

I look forward to seeing you in São Luís, Maranhão in the year 2008.

Raimundo Lopes Diniz, DSc.
Congress Chair