Ecological interface design and operator competencies: a (very) long-term study

Traditionally, improvements to interface designs for complex systems have focused on using ergonomically based solutions. These solutions do not address issues concerning human cognitive limitations. A method which does address these issues is a theoretical framework called ecological interface design (EID). Using EID, the system is represented in the form of an abstraction hierarchy (AH). The AH is a multi-leveled representation framework which represents both functional and physical aspects of the work domain. By using this framework as a part of EID, operators should be able to learn correct system models which will lead to a deeper understanding of domain constraints and functionality. Because EID presents system information in a way that is easy to perceive, far less cognitive effort should be required for successful system operation and fault management. In turn, this should facilitate improved operator performance, especially in dealing with unanticipated events