Structuring information during the design process of a complex Human-Machine Interface

Human-centered design is essential for obtaining a good Human-Machine-Interface (HMI). To reach a well designed HMI, the Human Factor expert needs to capture and structure the relevant information during the design process. As a result of our initial HMI design approach based on a task analysis, we identified two methodological issues with respect to keeping track of the information requirements for the HMI. First is a methodological gap between the task analysis and coming to the HMI design. Second is the difficulty to perform task analysis on a future system, for which tasks have not been defined yet. We explain our task analysis approach, identify the methodological issues, and propose a new way to manage and structure information during the design process by using the abstraction hierarchy instead of a task analysis. The approach is illustrated by the description of the design process perspective of a new HMI of a future complex system.