Field Studies Informing Ship's Bridge Design at the Ocean Industries Concept Lab

Abstract

In this paper we discuss the use of field research in multidisciplinary design processes when designing the ship's bridge of offshore service vessels. From carrying out ten field studies at sea over a three year period we have gained considerable insight into the role which field research may play in design projects for the offshore ship industry. We have found that allowing the designers to experience the onboard environment first hand is vital when designing for such a complex domain. Building on the experience we have gained, we have developed a model for design-driven field research relevant for these kinds of design projects. Our model encourages designers to engage in design reflection while in the field. This we believe is particularly important when designing for use situations unfamiliar to most designers, like a ship's bridge.1.

A User Interface Design Framework for Augmented-Reality-Supported Maritime Navigation

“…This research has followed a human-centered design approach. Designoriented field studies were used extensively, especially in the first phase [27]. They were used to understand users' tasks and context, carry out participatory design, and to test AR hardware.…”

Evolution of a Laboratory for Design of Advanced Ship Bridges

“…We have found that in particular the sharing of digital field data function well in the lab as well as the tools for developing interactive prototypes. Despite the many tools available in the lab we have experienced that the distance between real life ship bridges and the lab is a concern (Lurås &Nordby, 2014). Although the visual data, mockups and simulator equipment allow much of the marine context to be expressed in the lab, it does not relieve the need for extensive fieldstrips to understand marine settings.…”

“…We describe why we created the space, how it functions and what we learnt from using it. Key challenges in designing the work space is to bridge the gap between the lab environment and the very different environment of a ship in practice (Lurås & Nordby, 2014). Also, we need to connect and maintain relationship between multiple different research groups in Norway in a seamless way.…”