User-centered gurus
Ian Nimmo and his colleagues at UserĀ Centered Design Services Inc. have aĀ wealth of resources at their website, includingĀ many articles and white papersĀ about control room design and relatedĀ topics. The site also has information onĀ design, assessment, strategy and consultingĀ services covering alarm management,Ā security, HMI design, bestĀ practices, international standards, gapĀ analysis, operator training and organizationalĀ change management.
User Centered Design Services
mycontrolroom.com
Ergonomic considerations
The eight-page guide, "Top considerationsĀ when designing an ergonomic controlĀ room," covers the basic issues thatĀ users must face when seeking to implementĀ an improved control room, such asĀ definitions, room architecture, furniture,Ā console advantages, environment, operatorĀ requirements and others. It's located here.Ā
Winsted
winsted.com
Procedures for operations
This four-page technical report, "ControlĀ room design for efficient plant operations,"Ā describes the experience andĀ principles that Yokogawa has used toĀ design and build more than 500 controlĀ rooms over 30 years. It details theĀ human-centered design approach, andĀ show the company's procedures for controlĀ room design, including define, measure,Ā analyze, control and improve. It's located here.Ā
Yokogawa Electric Co.Ā
yokogawa.com
Two effectiveness videos
These two short, 2-1/2-minute videos,Ā "Maximizing operator effectivenessĀ in the control room" and "The controlĀ room transformation," are presentedĀ by Pierre Scharing, managing directorĀ of CGM. They demonstrate many ofĀ the improvements possible with newerĀ control room designs. They're located hereĀ and here.Ā
ABB Control Systems
abb.com
Control room of the future
Our cover story, "Smarter Reality," byĀ Jim Montague, Control executive editor,Ā details efforts to design and developĀ control rooms that keep operators aware,Ā efficient, comfortable and healthy. ForĀ example, Kevin Dahm, principal engineerĀ at DTE Energy, demonstrates an immersiveĀ but very low-tech way to try differentĀ control room designs. It's located here.
Control
controlglobal.com
Graduate-level overview
A 30-page paper, "Human factors inĀ design of control rooms for process industries,"Ā by Ravi Joshi and Ben Daum,Ā students at the Purdue University CollegeĀ of Engineering, provides a comprehensiveĀ summary of the historicalĀ problems with many existing controlĀ rooms, and covers design principles,Ā field communications, alarm conditionsĀ and more. It's located here.
Purdue College of EngineeringĀ
engineering.purdue.edu
Three-part process
ABB's "Control room design" webpageĀ takes visitors through a three-part processĀ to help them design and implementĀ control rooms that will improve operatorĀ alertness, drive efficiency, promote collaborationĀ and teamwork, and cut totalĀ costs. It's located here.
ABB
abb.com
Human factors guide
This 75-page white paper, "Best practiceĀ human factors guidance for controlĀ room/HMI design," by the HighwaysĀ Consultancy GroupāHighways ResearchĀ Group, covers human factors in designingĀ control rooms and HMIs, and includesĀ 11 steps for doing it. It's located here.
Highways England
gov.uk/government/organisations/highways-england
Looking good design
The feature article, "What does good controlĀ room design look like?" by Mary AnnĀ Lane and Peggy Hewitt of BAW Architecture,Ā lays out the ISO 11064 standard forĀ ergonomics, and shows how to designĀ "from the operator out." It's located here.Ā
Control
controlglobal.com
