The Interactive Monitoring and Control (imac) Design Methodology: Application and Empirical Results

The Interactive Monitoring and Control (IMaC) methodology is a design methodology for operator interfaces to complex engineering systems. This four-step methodology helps designers tailor human-computer interaction to communicate monitoring and control activity requirements to the operator. This paper presents the methodology and associated design principles as well as the results of an empirical study assessing the effectiveness of a proof-of-concept operator interface. The study found that an interface designed by the IMaC methodology resulted in superior operator performance when compared to a conventional interface.