User interface complexity assessment in safety-critical systems: preliminary results of an empirical study

The importance of the user interface increases particularly in safety-critical or mission-critical systems where the user has time limitations within which to make correct decisions. User interfaces for these type of systems should be well-designed, easy to understand and use. Otherwise mishaps or accidents may occur and consequences of accidents may include loss of human life, large financial losses, and environmental damage. All this suggests that examining the complexity of user interface in safety-critical large-scale systems is important. In this study, we study user interface complexity in safety-critical environments and report the results of a study conducted with an Embedded Intelligent Real-Time System and its operators.