Interface Heuristics and Style Guide Design: An Air Battle Management Case Study

Abstract

This paper describes the development of a human-machine interface style guide designed to promote a common look and feel among operator interfaces employed by air battle managers in the United States Air Force, and to reduce training requirements for operators moving between platforms. An analysis of the content of extensive operator interviews from all relevant platforms preceded the production of a compact style guide based on a few simple heuristics and populated with wire frame illustrations devised to act as examples of interfaces that were either compatible or incompatible with each rule. This novel methodology will be discussed as applied to the air battle management work domain, and in the context of its ability to produce usable style guides.