Cognitive work analysis is a framework for analysis to inform the design of complex cognitive systems. However, the framework has been criticized for failing to directly inform design. This paper describes a review of CWA design applications and analyses the way in which CWA-based designs have been developed. The review reveals that the majority of CWA-based design applications are associated with interface design. Further, when designing for causal, compared to intentional domains, CWA has more commonly been applied directly, with little use of further supplemental design methods or processes. In closing, the implications for augmenting CWA to support system design are discussed.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AhlstromU. (2005). Work domain analysis for air traffic controller weather displays. Journal of Safety Research, 36, 159–169.
2.
AsanoY.YonemuraS.-i.HamadaH.OgawaK. (1995). Method of ecological interface design applied to interactive diagnosis support system. In AnzaiK. O. YuichiroHirohikoM. (Eds.), Advances in Human Factors/Ergonomics (Vol. 20, pp. 423–428): Elsevier.
3.
BisantzA. M.RothE.BrickmanB.GosbeeL. L.HettingerL.McKinneyJ. (2003). Integrating cognitive analyses in a large-scale system design process. International Journal of Computer-Human Studies, 58, 177–206.
4.
BorstC.SuijkerbuijkH. C. H.MulderM.Van PaassenM. M. (2006). Ecological Interface Design for Terrain Awareness. The International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 16, 375–400.
5.
BurnsC. M. (2000). Putting it all together: Improving display integration in ecological displays. Human Factors, 42, 226–241.
6.
BurnsC. M.BryantD. J.ChalmersB. A. (2005). Boundary, purpose, and values in work-domain models: Models of naval command and control. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man,and Cybernetics, 35, 603–616.
7.
BurnsC. M.GarrisonL.DinadisN. (2003). From analysis to design: WDA for the petrochemical industry. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 47, 258–262.
8.
BurnsC. M.HoG.ArrabitoG. R. (2011). Mapping ecologically to modalities. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 55, 335–339.
9.
BurnsC. M.KuoJ.NgS. (2003). Ecological interface design: A new approach for visualizing network management. Computer Networks, 43, 369–388.
10.
BurnsC.TorenvlietG.ChalmersB.ScottS. (2009). Work domain analysis for establishing collaborative work requirements. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 53, 314–318.
11.
ChalmersB. A.LamoureuxT. M. (2005). A work-centred approach to seeding the development of design concepts to support shipboard command and control. Paper presented at the 10th International Command and Control Research and Technology Symposium, Virginia Beach, VA.
12.
ChenH.-Y.BurnsC. M. (2007). Work domain analysis for the interface design of a sonobuoy system. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 51, 283–287.
13.
CummingsM. L. (2004). Designing Decision Support Systems for Revolutionary Command and Control Domains. Doctor of Philosophy, University of Virginia.
14.
CzajaS. J.NairS. N. (2005). Human factors engineering and systems design. In SalvendyG. (Ed.), Handbook of Human Factors and Ergonomics (3 ed., pp. 32–49). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
15.
DainoffM. J.DainoffC. A.McFeetersL. (2004). On the application of Cognitive Work Analysis to the development of a commercial investment software tool. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 48, 595–599.
16.
DinadisN.VicenteK. J. (1999). Designing functional visualizations for aircraft systems status displays. International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9, 241–269.
17.
DrivalouS.MarmarasN. (2009). Supporting skill-, rule-, and knowledge-based behaviour through an ecological interface: An industry-scale application. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 39, 947–965.
18.
DurugboC. (2012). Work domain analysis for enhancing collaborations: A study of the management of microsystems design. Ergonomics, 55, 603–620.
19.
EffkenJ.LoebR.JohnsonK.JohnsonS.ReynaV. (2001). Using cognitive work analysis to design clinical displays. In PatelV. L.RogersR.HauxR. (Eds.), MedInfo 2001: Proceedings of the 10th World Congress on Medical Informatics (pp. 127–131). Amsterdam: IOS Press.
20.
EuerbyA.BurnsC. M. (2012). Designing for social engagement in online social networks using communities-of-practice theory and cognitive work analysis: A case study. Journal of Cognitive Engineering and Decision Making, 6, 194–213.
21.
FidelR.PejtersenA. M. (2005). Cognitive Work Analysis. In FisherK. E.ErdelezS.McKechnieE. F. (Eds.), Theories of information behavior: A researcher’s guide. Medford, NJ: Information Today.
22.
HajdukiewiczJ. R.BurnsC. M. (2004). Strategies for bridging the gap between analysis and design for ecological interface design. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 48, 479–483.
23.
HilliardA.JamiesonG. A. (2008). Winning solar races with interface design. Ergonomics in Design: The Quarterly of Human Factors Applications, 16, 6–11.
24.
HoriguchiY.AsakuraR.SawaragiT.TamaiY.NaitoK.HashiguchiN. (2007). Ecological interface to enhance user performance in adjusting computer-controlled multihead weigher. In SmithM.SalvendyG. (Eds.), Human Interface and the Management of Information. Interacting in Information Environments, Symposium on Human Interface 2007, Proceedings, Part II (Vol. 4558, pp. 883–892). Berlin: Springer.
25.
HumphreyC. M.AdamsJ. A. (Online first). Cognitive information flow analysis. Cognition, Technology & Work.
26.
ItohJ.SakumaA.MontaK. (1995). An ecological interface for supervisory control of BWR nuclear power plants. Control Engineering Practice, 3, 231–239.
27.
JamiesonG. A. (2003). Bridging the gap between cognitive work analysis and ecological interface design. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 47, 273–277.
28.
JamiesonG. A.MillerC. A.HoW. H.VicenteK. J. (2007). Integrating task- and work domain-based work analyses in ecological interface design: A process control case study. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part A: Systems and Humans, 37, 887–905.
29.
JamiesonG. A.VicenteK. J. (2001). Ecological interface design for petrochemical applications: Supporting operator adaptation, continuous learning, and distributed, collaborative work. Computers & Chemical Engineering, 25, 1055–1074.
30.
JanssonA.OlssonE.ErlandssonM. (2006). Bridging the gap between analysis and design: Improving existing driver interfaces with tools from the framework of cognitive work analysis. Cognition, Technology & Work, 8, 41–49.
31.
JenkinsD. P.SalmonP. M.StantonN. A.WalkerG. H. (2010). A new approach for designing cognitive artefacts to support disaster management. Ergonomics, 53, 617–635.
32.
JenkinsD. P.StantonN. A.SalmonP. M.WalkerG. H. (2011). A formative approach to developing synthetic environment fidelity requirements for decision-making training. Applied Ergonomics, 42, 757–769.
33.
JenkinsD. P.StantonN. A.WalkerG. H.SalmonP. M.YoungM. S. (2008). Applying cognitive work analysis to the design of rapidly reconfigurable interfaces in complex networks. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 9, 273–295.
34.
JenkinsD. P.StantonN. A.WalkerG. H.SalmonP. M.YoungM. S. (2010). Using cognitive work analysis to explore system flexibility. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 11, 136–150.
35.
KilgoreR.St-CyrO.JamiesonG. A. (2008). From work domains to worker competencies: A five-phase CWA. In BisantzA. M.BurnsC. M. (Eds.), Applications of Cognitive Work Analysis (pp. 15–48): CRC Press.
36.
KwokJ.BurnsC. M. (2005). Usability evaluation of a mobile ecological interface design application for diabetes management. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 49, 1042–1046.
37.
LamoureuxT. M.ChalmersB. A. (2008). Control task analysis: Methodologies for eliciting and applying decision ladder models for command and control. In BisantzA. M.BurnsC. M. (Eds.), Applications of Cognitive Work Analysis (pp. 95–128). CRC Press.
38.
LauN.VelandO.KwokJ.JamiesonG. A.BurnsC. M.BrasethA. O.WelchR. (2008). Ecological interface design in the nuclear domain: An application to the secondary subsystems of a boiling water reactor plant simulator. IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science, 55, 3579–3596.
39.
LinternG. (2005). Integration of cognitive requirements into system design. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 49, 239–243.
40.
LinternG. (2006). A functional workspace for military analysis of insurgent operations. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 36, 409–422.
LinternG.MillerD.BakerK. (2002). Work centered design of a usaf mission planning system. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 46, 531–535.
43.
MemisevicR.SandersonP.ChoudhouryS.WongW. (2005). Work domain analysis and ecological interface design for hydropower system monitoring and control. Paper presented at the IEEE International Conference on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Hawaii, USA.
44.
MendozaP. A.AngelelliA.LindgrenA. (2011). Ecological interface design inspired human machine interface for advanced driver assistance systems. Intelligent Transport Systems, IET, 5, 53–59.
45.
MilitelloL. G.DominguezC. O.LinternG.KleinG. (2010). The role of cognitive systems engineering in the systems engineering design process. Systems Engineering, 13, 261–273.
46.
MillerA.ScheinkestelC.SteeleC. (2009). The effects of clinical information presentation on physicians’ and nurses’ decision-making in ICUs. Applied Ergonomics, 40, 753–761.
47.
MorineauT.BeuzetE.RachinelA.TobinL. (2007). Experimental evaluation of a tide prediction display based on the ecological interface design framework. Cognition, Technology & Work, 11, 119–127.
48.
NadimianR. M.GriffithsS.BurnsC. M. (2002). Ecological interface design in aviation domains: Work domain analysis and instrumentation availability of the Harvard aircraft. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 46, 116–120.
49.
NaikarN.PearceB.DrummD.SandersonP. M. (2003). Designing teams for first-of-a-kind, complex systems using the initial phases of cognitive work analysis: Case study. Human Factors, 45, 202–217.
50.
NaikarN.SandersonP. M. (1999). Work domain analysis for training-system definition and acquisition. The International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 9, 271–290.
51.
NaikarN.SandersonP. M. (2001). Evaluating design proposals for complex systems with work domain analysis. Human Factors, 43, 529–542.
52.
NaikarN.SaundersA. (2003). Crossing the boundaries of safe operation: An approach for training technical skills in error management. Cognition, Technology & Work, 5, 171–180.
53.
RasmussenJ.PejtersenA. M.GoodsteinL. P. (1994). Cognitive Systems Engineering. New York: Wiley-Interscience.
54.
RasmussenJ.PejtersenA. M.SchmidtK. (1990). Taxonomy for Cognitive Work Analysis. Roskilde, Denmark: Risø National Laboratory.
55.
ReisingD. C.SandersonP. M. (1998). Designing displays under ecological interface design: Towards operationalizing semantic mapping. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 42, 372–376.
56.
ReisingD. C.SandersonP. M. (2002). Ecological Interface Design for Pasteurizer II: A Process Description of Semantic Mapping. Human Factors, 44, 222–247.
57.
SalmonP. M.ReganM.LenneM.StantonN. A.YoungK. (2007). Work domain analysis and intelligent transport systems: Implications for vehicle design. International Journal of Vehicle Design, 45, 426–448.
58.
SandersonP. M. (2003). Cognitive Work Analysis. In CarrollJ. (Ed.), HCI Models, Theories, and Frameworks: Toward an Interdisciplinary Science. New York: Morgan-Kaufmann.
59.
SandersonP.NaikarN.LinternG.GossS. (1999). Use of cognitive work analysis across the system life cycle: From requirements to decommissioning. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 43, 318–322.
60.
SharpT. D.HelmickiA. J. (1998). The application of the ecological interface design approach to neonatal intensive care medicine. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 42, 350–354.
61.
StantonN. A.McIlroyR. C. (2012). Designing mission communication planning: The role of rich pictures and cognitive work analysis. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 13, 146–168.
62.
UptonC.DohertyG. (2008). Extending ecological interface design principles: A manufacturing case study. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 66, 271–286.
63.
Van DamS. B. J.MulderM.van PaassenM. M. (2008). Ecological interface design of a tactical airborne separation assistance tool. IEEE Transactions on Systems, Man and Cybernetics, Part A: Systems and Humans, 38, 1221–1233.
64.
van MarwijkB. J. A.BorstC.MulderM.MulderM.van PaassenM. M. (2011). Supporting 4D trajectory revisions on the flight deck: Design of a human–machine interface. The International Journal of Aviation Psychology, 21, 35–61.
65.
VicenteK. J. (1999). Cognitive Work Analysis: Toward Safe, Productive, and Healthy Computer-Based Work. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
66.
VicenteK. J. (2002). Ecological interface design: Process and challenges. Human Factors, 44, 62–78.
67.
VicenteK. J.RasmussenJ. (1990). The ecology of human-machine systems II: Mediating ‘direct perception’ in complex work domains. Ecological Psychology, 2, 207–249.
68.
WatsonM. O.SandersonP. M. (2007). Designing for attention with sound: Challenges and extensions to ecological interface design. Human Factors, 49, 331–346.
69.
XuW. (2005). A cognitive engineering approach for facilitating analysis of human-computer interaction in complex work domains. Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Annual Meeting, 49, 366–370.
70.
XuW.DainoffM. J.MarkL. S. (1999). Facilitate complex search tasks in hypertext by externalizing functional properties of a work domain. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction, 11, 201–229.
71.
YoungM. S.BirrellS. A. (2012). Ecological IVIS design: Using EID to develop a novel in-vehicle information system. Theoretical Issues in Ergonomics Science, 13, 225–239.
