Designing Mimic Diagrams: Moving from Art to Science

Abstract

This paper describes work to develop a graphical user interface for an experimental ship control system which utilises mimics extensively in its displays. Lack of a systematic method for mimic design resulted in mimics being designed using the collective expertise of a human factors development team. A methodology for mimic design recently proposed by Javaux et al (1996) is evaluated retrospectively with reference to the experience gained designing mimics for the Ship Control Centre (SCC). The seven stages of this novel methodology are discussed in terms of their applicability to the SCC development work and limitations within this methodology are identified. Suggestions are made concerning the future development of a principled method for the design of mimics.