Sitting

The ideal desk height while sitting will allow the elbow to be placed at a 90 degree angle (i.e. parallel to the ground). Although adjustable desks are preferred, an average desktop height can be used if necessary. For typing tasks, the desk should be placed 74 and 78 centimeters for men and 70 to 74 centimeters for women. In addition, the leg room beneath the desk should be at least 68 centimeters wide by 69 centimeters high (see figures below).

Other Concerns

Other issues in the desk design are the desk tilt and neck and head postures. Desk tilt can improve a person’s posture and enable the person to see the work better. Reading is better on a tilted surface but writing must be limited to a desk with a tilt angle less than 10 degrees. Otherwise, items can roll off.

The workers head should not be inclined more than 20 to 30 degrees for long periods of time. In order to accomplish this, any items must be placed on the desktop so that they can be viewed within a 30 degree cone around the principle axis (see below).