Developing Human Factors Design Principles for Information Display Systems in Air Traffic Control

An Information Display System (IDS) provides access to many types of information. It consolidates data to one source and eliminates the need for multiple displays. An IDS provides a logical structure and uses a standardized information display format. We present a set of design principles for IDSs in Air Traffic Control (ATC). We conducted an investigation of information and usability requirements in each of the ATC domains. Based on the investigation and on existing design guidelines and standards, we developed design principles that capture the critical components of designing an effective IDS for ATC. In order to be useful and usable, an IDS and the information it contains should be accessible, current, comprehensive, and standardized. We discuss each of these principles, the motivation for including them, and some specific examples of how they can be implemented in an IDS. We also discuss the methods used for collecting data from the field, refining, and validating the principles.