How can a psychologist from FORCE Technology assist designers in creating better and more user-friendly products? Harrit & Sørensen who is involved in ‘conceptual unity and identity’ in industrial design was asked by a Danish producer of maritime communications equipment to design a maritime VHF radio, and FORCE Technology’s psychology consulting services helped make a difference.
Interaction between man and machine
The customer looked for expertise in the human factors design process and the interaction between man and machines. Therefore, the customer asked Harrit & Sørensen to locate an expert on the matter. Harrit & Sørensen found what it was looking for in an article written by FORCE Technology’s psychologist who was contacted – and the beginning of a fruitful collaboration became a reality.
The actual design of the maritime VHF radio was highly controlled by FORCE Technology’s knowledge about human factors. That is not usually the case, since projects of this nature are primarily controlled by technical, financial and commercial priorities with interaction design being prioritised to the end of the process. However, since design changes are frequently too late at this stage, the human factors were allowed to control the design right from the start.
Observing the use of similar radios
The project was initiated by the team (FORCE Technology’s psychologist and Harrit & Sørensen’s designers) who made a record of how current VHF radios were used. The team paid visits to fishing ships, trawlers, supply vessels, stimulation vessels and one ferry, observing and shooting photos from the bridge of each ship, and interviewing the crew about their use of VHF radios. The next step was a human factors seminar where the parties involved met at FORCE Technology’s Division for Maritime Industry in Lyngby, Denmark.
All acquired a common foundation for furthering their work on design proposals for a VHF radio. They made use of e.g. the observations made with a view to developing an optimum interactive design in every respect of user friendliness and safety.
Iterative testing of design proposals
The final phase of the project involved an iterative process in which the various design proposals were evaluated by a group of experienced captains. A realistic mock-up of the VHF radio was built in cardboard and the captains completed a number of exercises to illustrate their use of the VHF radio and communicated their thoughts and next steps.
Several exercises took place at FORCE Technology’s ship simulator with realistic lighting conditions and surroundings and with everything being videotaped for subsequent analysis. The work resulted in new design proposals that were tested until an optimum design was achieved.
The final design of the maritime VHF radio involves a product that sets Harrit & Sørensen significantly ahead of the competition. Thus, the philosophy that there is a need for psychological knowledge
in any design process that involves the interaction of technology and
human has proven successful. In future, Harrit & Sørensen and FORCE Technology will embark on similar design challenges in heat control appliances, agricultural machinery and hospital equipment.
FORCE Technology’s psychologist and Harrit & Sørensen’s designers paid a number of joint visits to ships, made observations and interviewed the crew to pinpoint the optimum design of a new maritime VHF radio.
