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For the new air traffic control centre in Swanwick here in the UK, I worked with a team doing UI design for the big 20x20 displays that the controllers (ATCOs)
by tragomaskhalos 10y ago
For the new air traffic control centre in Swanwick here in the UK, I worked with a team doing UI design for the big 20x20 displays that the controllers (ATCOs) would use. Because these were effectively radar screen replacements, the ATCOs insisted that the screens should be black, with all the aircraft tracks, track blocks and other such on the screen in bright colours, as this is what they were used to. The UI experts said no, research indicates that it is better (more restful on the eyes etc) to use a light background, with the tracks in dark colours, and pastels for the track blocks. It was interesting to see how much research went into all this, much more that simple user preference.
The upshot however was that the ATCOs won, and the radar-style colour scheme was what was delivered.
- posterboy 10y agoCue discussion about terminals and all-nighters preferring dimmed colors.
- Neliquat 10y agoGuilty of this. Black background and light grey, deep blue highlights, deep red syntax. Staring at white boxes too long makes my eyes hurt.
- unexistance 10y agomy firefox & terminal (& wallpapers) are all dark I really cannot bare to read anymore in sites with bright background actual dead-trees are a different beast :D
- rwmj 10y agoI have to ask why - if all that research was done, they settled instead on the familiar preference?
- mafribe 10y agoAre you not assuming that research is infallible and settles such a controversial matter once and for all?
- mmjaa 10y agoThe research in this case simply did not accommodate the preferences of the intended user.
- rwmj 10y agoI'm assuming that the research is intended to ensure fewer planes crash, so yes.
- briandear 10y agoHow many planes crash in the U.K. due to ATC errors?
- creshal 10y agoOne is too many, especially when the fix is basically free.
- mannykannot 10y agoYou cannot be that certain, as you cannot rule out unanticipated downsides. The experience and judgement of the specific users in the specific use cases counts for something.
- mannykannot 10y agoIt is not clear from the post whether it was not just general UI experience.
- alphapapa 10y agoWell if the expert said that the research shows it, it must be so.
- jkaljundi 10y agoI've seen some newer style (often grey/blue/wight on grey) tower / control radar screens and they seem so much better than the old black ones.
- kk_cz 10y agoI would prefer the ATCO responsible for my flight not to be distracted by unfamiliar (or from his point of view outright hostile) color scheme, thank you very much.