This part of ISO 10075 gives guidance on the design of work systems, including task and equipment design and design of the workplace, as well as working conditions, emphasizing mental workload and its effects, as specified in ISO 10075. It applies to the adequate design of work and use of human capacities, with the intention to provide for optimal working conditions with respect to health and safety, well-being, performance, and effectiveness, preventing over- as well as underload in order to avoid the impairing effects described in ISO 10075.

Mental workload is the effect of a complex interaction of individual, technical, organizational and social factors. Thus personal, technical and organizational factors and the effects of their interactions have to be taken into account in the design of work systems. However, this part of ISO 10075 includes the design of technical and organizational factors only, and does not apply to problems of selection, training or social factors.

This part of ISO 10075 provides guidelines for system design. It does not address problems of measurement of mental workload or its effects.

This part of ISO 10075 refers to all kinds of human work activities (see ISO 10075), not only to those which would be described as cognitive or mental tasks in a restricted sense, but also to those with primarily physical workload.

This part of ISO 10075 is thus relevant to all those engaged in the design and use of work systems, e.g. system and equipment designers, employers' and employees' representatives.

This part of ISO 10075 is applicable to the design of new work systems as well as to the redesign of existing ones undergoing substantial revision.