ISO 6385:2004 establishes the fundamental principles of ergonomics as basic guidelines for the design of work systems and defines relevant basic terms. It describes an integrated approach to the design of work systems, where ergonomists will cooperate with others involved in the design, with attention to the human, the social and the technical requirements in a balanced manner during the design process.

While the principles in ISO 6385:2004 are oriented to the design of work systems, they are applicable to any field of human activity, e.g. in the design of products for domestic and leisure activities.