Outlier 85
Human Variation Institute
Question the Model
What is Outlier 85?
In a 2012 U.S. Army study, body armor failed to adequately fit 85% of the women evaluated.
That finding exposed a larger problem: systems can meet established design standards and still fail to represent the people expected to use them.
If the system fails to fit 85%, at what point do we stop calling people outliers and start questioning the model?
Outlier 85 is a research institute dedicated to understanding human variation and improving the models used to design systems.
We study the dimensions, geometries, biomechanics, and physiological differences that conventional population models can overlookâthen translate that research into better data, better standards, and better design.
Better models build better systems.
Outlier 85 is building a network of researchers, practitioners, institutions, and industry partners committed to designing systems around the people who actually use them.