ABSTRACT
The role of human factors in the design of complex systems has grown from a focus on local physical ergonomic issues and individual human-machine interaction to an approach where organizational, technological, and human factors are being integrated into the system. This can be seen in the approach to design of ships by the Royal Netherlands Navy (RNLN) over the last 15 years. The layouts of ship bridges, operations rooms, and command centers are now being based on design concepts driven by task organization and team factors (Post & Punte, 1997). For operator interface design, a similar development can be described. In addition to using human vision characteristics as a basis for information display requirements, cognitive requirements derived from tasks, responsibilities, and operational conditions are now driving the specification of which information should be displayed and in what format (Essens et al., 1994; Neerincx, 1995; Passenier & van Delft, 1996). A third development concerns the design approach. The RNLN wants to take account of human characteristics at an early stage in the design process (Huisman, 1995; Otto, Visser, & Wolff, 1997). A major motivation for this is the requirement to reduce manning levels. The goal is to base early design decisions on the most influential operational and human performance constraints and opportunities. With a more formalized approach, one can better control the complex design process and its outcome.
