Abstract
The actual design of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) for supervisory control systems largely falls to software developers, as opposed to qualified human engineers (HEs). This is due in large part to the disconnect among the primary players (operational subject matter experts (SMEs), software developers, & human engineers) and the lack of a suitable communications vehicle to bring all these critical perspectives to bear in the design process. We define a process, TIGERS (Tactical Information GUI Engineering & Requirements Specification), which provides a vehicle whereby SMEs can play a more active role in defining the system “process” from a top-down perspective. Together with a human engineer, the SME articulates the critical decisions to be made, the information, and information sources required to support each decision. This articulation uses “operational sequence diagrams” (OSDs) as the primary tool or medium for communication. Once the OSDs are so articulated, the human engineer can better define the optimal display format of that information, define the critical system events that impact that decision, and obtain validation reviews from the SME and developer. This articulation of the tasks, and information requirements are then sufficient to permit actual system design. Byproducts from this process are workload simulation parameters, explicit documentation of the HMI design process, and a traceability matrix to support design specification. We present this approach, provide two case studies, and identify how it can be applied to other systems development projects.
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