ABSTRACT
In developing the cognitive work analysis design toolkit (CWA-DT), this chapter draws upon a related field, the sociotechnical systems theory approach, as well as an analysis of what the CWA framework provides to design, and consideration of common approaches to design. It describes the approaches underpinning the CWA-DT, details its structure and demonstrates three case studies related to public transport ticketing, rail level crossings and designing road intersections, which demonstrate its application within different domains. In addition to information about system constraints, CWA provides a unique perspective on system functioning compared to other human factors and ergonomics (HFE) methods such as task analysis methods. Broadly, HFE design approaches subscribe to the human-centred design philosophy. Both CWA and the sociotechnical systems perspective might be considered human-centred approaches as they place humans at the centre of the design process. An approach that is increasingly being employed within the human-centred design paradigm is design thinking.
