{"id":11879,"date":"2018-03-28T11:00:02","date_gmt":"2018-03-28T19:00:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2018\/03\/28\/news-5648\/"},"modified":"2018-03-28T11:00:02","modified_gmt":"2018-03-28T19:00:02","slug":"news-5648","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.palada.net\/index.php\/2018\/03\/28\/news-5648\/","title":{"rendered":"Situational Awareness Graphics- what\u2019s it all about part 3."},"content":{"rendered":"

Credit to Author: Stephen Apple| Date: Tue, 27 Mar 2018 22:17:59 +0000<\/strong><\/p>\n

In my last article, I talked about how graphics is as much about what you don\u2019t show as what you do show. So, this time I am discussing WHY we do that. Through studying human response mechanisms, we have learned that forms and shapes are easier to discern than numbers. Adding numbers to forms creates quick recognition and awareness.<\/p>\n

As a point of reference, most of the instrumentation of the past generation (70\u2019s\/80\u2019s) was designed using what we termed \u201cbehavioral psychology\u201d and today we use the term \u201chuman factors engineering\u201d.\u00a0 Behavior psychologists studied how humans gathered INFORMATION, and designed instrumentation for control panels to indicate information at a glance without further study. Let me show you an example. Some of us are old enough to remember when automobiles went to totally digital dashes. (they have since reverted). Example: \u00a0you are driving down the highway and you see a speed limit sign.\"\"<\/p>\n

You look at your digital speedometer. It shows you this:<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

You subtract 60 from 75, and calculate you are 15 mph over the limit, and if you calculate further, you realize that is 25% over the limit. You had better slow down and do it quickly in case a constable is nearby with a digital readout of his own.<\/p>\n

Now, imagine trying to do that with a screen FULL of numbers, and calculate the differences between settings and current values, and making control decisions. Or, imagine using that graphic I shared with you last time, while driving down the highway at 75 mph.\u00a0 Simply cannot be done with any expectancy of success. Yet, we do that every day with operators to \u201chelp\u201d them control extremely valuable and dangerous processes.<\/p>\n

Now, instead, suppose you looked down and saw this:\"\"<\/p>\n

Your mind immediately tells you that you are approximately 25% over the speed limit without doing any calculations at all because you can see the space between the needle and the 60.<\/p>\n

So, how do we cure this problem? The solution is called \u201cSituational Awareness Graphics\u201d.\u00a0 Situational awareness graphics is a result of designing graphics to the purpose for which they are needed. We show ONLY the important information that drives the proper control and notifications required to perform that control. Most times, it does not have shapes of process equipment on the graphics unless they are pertinent and lend understanding.<\/p>\n

Let me drive a notion out of anybody\u2019s head about one thing Situational Awareness Graphics is NOT. It is NOT just gray backgrounds to remove color confusion. I have seen simple \u201cgray-ifcation\u201d fail every time it has been undertaken. It is not so much the color that drives the problem, it is the shapes and layout, and how the eye is drawn (or not) to certain objects in the visual layout. ALL that gray screens do is remove one more confusing issue from the playing field. Consider these points:<\/p>\n