Open a Window to the Cognitive Work Process! Pointillist Analysis of Man–Machine Interaction

Abstract:

Technological progress keeps on changing our lives and our work. We can only improve this mutual influence between human and technology if we understand the impact of technology on the work process, and if we are also able to share this understanding with other people in the design process. Quantitative assessment methods like workload offer at least a keyhole to the work process, but only additional concepts like situation awareness or usability in an appropriate combination with qualitative aspects can open this keyhole into a wider window. The pointillist approach uses a powerful metaphor, borrowed from the arts, to combine quantitative with qualitative aspects systematically. Based on this approach, a tool for human factors analysis was built and used to analyse the interaction between a pilot and an assistant system in a simulator. Three examples illustrate the possible interplay between quantitative and qualitative aspects of the approach.