Co-Design for Control Centres
Eurofunk Kappacher GmbH is a provider of software and hardware for Emergency Control Centres. Within this research project I explored mulitple interaction modalities and devices in order to create a new interaction concept that allows higher work efficiency for dispatchers.
Company:
eurofunk Kappacher GmbH
Role:
UX Researcher
Year:
2022
Fast-paced. High responsibility. Mentally demanding.
Emergency Control Centres
In a fast-paced work environment, dispatchers need strong multitasking and communication skills. Their critical decisions can impact system efficiency and decide about life or death, causing a high Cognitive Load for the dispatchers.
“Multimodal Interaction can positively influence Cognitive Load”
Research shows key principles to reduce Cognitive Load include using Multimodal Interaction, which improves natural and intuitive interaction, error prevention, and information transmission for better cognitive processes
— what about safety-critical environments?
Exploring interaction modalities and devices
Co-Design Paper Prototyping Workshops
A participatory approach was used in order to assess the limitations of the current setup of the workstation, as well as unfulfilled wishes and needs within the workplace of a dispatcher.
Several methods were conducted with dispatchers in a police station and fire brigades:
Sketching Workhops
dispatchers sketched their image of a future control centreCard Sorting
dispatchers assigned tasks to their preferred modalityCo-Design Paper Prototyping Workshops
dispatchers setup their ideal workstation using paper modules and designed their interface for a scenario
Design Implications
Individuality and Flexibility
→ a system that adapts to individual needs
→ dynamic and flexible interface element.
Automation
→ more support from the system
→ automated functions, smart behaviour
Alternative Interaction
→ simultaneous availability of several modalities
Direct Manipulation
→ providing immediateness by offering modalities that enable interaction with the body
Less is more
→ clean desk approach
→ reduction of both physical and content-related elements
cross-device prototype
the prototype consists of a desktop wide-screen, a touchscreen with included keyboard and a voice interface
I designed the cross-device interactions using Figma and ProtoPie.
Were the ideas any good?
User Testing: Speech Interaction and automation show promising potential
In the Emergency Control Centre in Munich, fire brigade dispatchers volunteered to participate in a user testing of the cross-device prototype. Following this, each participant engaged in a semi-structured interview to provide further insights into their thought-process and feedback.
The design research shows that effective utilisation of multiple modalities has the potential to positively impact Cognitive Load within Emergency Control Centres. Among these modalities, speech input and automation stand out for their promising contributions.
