ABSTRACT
The way in which information is presented to the operator through the interface greatly in¢uences situation awareness (SA) by determining how much information can be acquired in the limited time available, how accurately it can be acquired, and the degree to which that information is compatible with the operator’s SA needs. In general, our goal is to create system interface designs that transmit needed information to the operator as quickly as possible and without undue cognitive effort. Reducing the mental workload associated with system interfaces has been a consideration in design efforts for many years. At the same time, the level of SA provided (the outcome of that mental effort) needs to be considered. Several general principles for creating systems that enhance the operator’s SA are presented here. These principles were developed based on an understanding of the factors that affect SA in complex systems (Chapters 2 and 3). Following the presentation of these design principles, we will show a case study that illustrates the application of some of these design principles to a real-world system design problem.
