Completed BBCSS Project

Human-System Design Support for Changing Technology

Publication: Human-System Integration in the System Development Process: A New Look

Participating in designing systems to support the tasks of civilian and military workers has long been a focus of human factors. As technology has advanced, changes have occurred in work, the relationship of workers to the systems they operate, and the process by which these systems and their interfaces to the worker are designed. Although methods and tools exist for considering the human in design processes, they have been developed independently of each other and often are advocated by different design constituencies. Within this context, the Army Research Laboratory has asked the National Academies to establish an ad hoc committee to:

(1) review issues involved in design that need to be addressed by a consideration of human cognitive and physical performance characteristics;

(2) evaluate the state of the art on human-centered design practices, methodologies, and support tools;

(3) develop a vision for an integrated, interdisciplinary, generalizable, human-system design support methodology and tool set; and

(4) recommend a program of research and development required to realize this vision.


This project is sponsored by the U.S. Army Research Laboratory.