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Sensemaking in Safety Critical and Complex Situations
they are being addressed elsewhere. In this work, we have looked to HMI and control
room design in the petroleum and nuclear domains in particular for inspiration and
propose introducing a fixed overview display as a supplement to existing HMIs as a
feasible design measure for improving SA and sensemaking for DPOs. Current DP
systems are typically designed in a way that let operators arrange their screens quite
freely, leaving them vulnerable to overlook important information when unexpected
situations occur – which they sometimes do and often quite rapidly. This study indicates that to introduce a w ell-designed fixed overview display can give DPOs an
at- a-glance system overview regardless of the situation, enabling them to quickly
detect, understand and counteract developing off-normal situations. On existing vessels, it might be more feasible to introduce such displays on construction and productions vessels ( rigs) than on e.g. cargo vessels due to space limitations.
This has been an exploratory study with relatively few user participants, thus findings are far from conclusive. Still, the results provide motivation for DP systems
developers to question one of the fundamental design choices related to HMI
design – display reconfigurability versus fixed content presentation. The design
proposals presented in this study are likely a good starting point for further user- and
performance-driven research and development.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Andreas Bye for helping out with the evaluation interviews and providing
useful feedback, to Kongsberg Maritime – in particular Jan Inge Edvardsen – for
their feedback and for providing access to their systems and simulators, and to all the
DPOs that participated.
REFERENCES
Braseth, A. O. ( 2015). Information-Rich Design: A Concept for Large-Screen Display
Graphics: Design Principles and Graphic Elements for Real-World Complex Processes,
Doctoral thesis at NTNU; 2015: 30.
Braseth, A. O., Nihlwing, C., Svengren, H., Veland, Ø., Hurlen, L. and Kvalem, J. ( 2009).
Lessons learned from Halden project research on human system interfaces. Nuclear
Engineering and Technology 41( 3). DOI: 10.5516/ NET.2009.41.3.215
Endsley, M. R. and Jones, D. G. ( 2012). Designing for Situation Awareness, An Approach to
User-Centered Design. Second Edition. CRC Press.
Hurlen, L. and Bye A. ( 2020). Improving sensemaking in dynamic positioning operations:
HMI and training measures. In Proceedings of the 30th European Safety and Reliability
Conference.
Hurlen, L., Skjerve, A.B. and Bye, A. (2019). Sensemaking in high-risk situations. The challenges faced by dynamic positioning operators. In Proceedings of the 29th European
Safety and Reliability Conference.
Hurlen, L., Skraaning, G., Meyers, B., Carlsson, H. and Jamieson, G. (2015). The plant panel:
feasibility study of an interactive large screen concept for process monitoring and operation. In 9th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control,
and Human Machine Interface Technologies ( NPIC&HMIT 2015).
IMCA (2016). IMCA M 166 Rev. I – Appendix 3 – The IMCA DP Station Keeping Incident
Database. International Marine Contractors Association.
Sensemaking in Safety Critical and Complex Situations
they are being addressed elsewhere. In this work, we have looked to HMI and control
room design in the petroleum and nuclear domains in particular for inspiration and
propose introducing a fixed overview display as a supplement to existing HMIs as a
feasible design measure for improving SA and sensemaking for DPOs. Current DP
systems are typically designed in a way that let operators arrange their screens quite
freely, leaving them vulnerable to overlook important information when unexpected
situations occur – which they sometimes do and often quite rapidly. This study indicates that to introduce a w ell-designed fixed overview display can give DPOs an
at- a-glance system overview regardless of the situation, enabling them to quickly
detect, understand and counteract developing off-normal situations. On existing vessels, it might be more feasible to introduce such displays on construction and productions vessels ( rigs) than on e.g. cargo vessels due to space limitations.
This has been an exploratory study with relatively few user participants, thus findings are far from conclusive. Still, the results provide motivation for DP systems
developers to question one of the fundamental design choices related to HMI
design – display reconfigurability versus fixed content presentation. The design
proposals presented in this study are likely a good starting point for further user- and
performance-driven research and development.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thanks to Andreas Bye for helping out with the evaluation interviews and providing
useful feedback, to Kongsberg Maritime – in particular Jan Inge Edvardsen – for
their feedback and for providing access to their systems and simulators, and to all the
DPOs that participated.
REFERENCES
Braseth, A. O. ( 2015). Information-Rich Design: A Concept for Large-Screen Display
Graphics: Design Principles and Graphic Elements for Real-World Complex Processes,
Doctoral thesis at NTNU; 2015: 30.
Braseth, A. O., Nihlwing, C., Svengren, H., Veland, Ø., Hurlen, L. and Kvalem, J. ( 2009).
Lessons learned from Halden project research on human system interfaces. Nuclear
Engineering and Technology 41( 3). DOI: 10.5516/ NET.2009.41.3.215
Endsley, M. R. and Jones, D. G. ( 2012). Designing for Situation Awareness, An Approach to
User-Centered Design. Second Edition. CRC Press.
Hurlen, L. and Bye A. ( 2020). Improving sensemaking in dynamic positioning operations:
HMI and training measures. In Proceedings of the 30th European Safety and Reliability
Conference.
Hurlen, L., Skjerve, A.B. and Bye, A. (2019). Sensemaking in high-risk situations. The challenges faced by dynamic positioning operators. In Proceedings of the 29th European
Safety and Reliability Conference.
Hurlen, L., Skraaning, G., Meyers, B., Carlsson, H. and Jamieson, G. (2015). The plant panel:
feasibility study of an interactive large screen concept for process monitoring and operation. In 9th International Topical Meeting on Nuclear Plant Instrumentation, Control,
and Human Machine Interface Technologies ( NPIC&HMIT 2015).
IMCA (2016). IMCA M 166 Rev. I – Appendix 3 – The IMCA DP Station Keeping Incident
Database. International Marine Contractors Association.