Design of rooms and systems for safety-critical operations

Too often, we end up copying yesterday's solutions or following a standard template for 'best practice'. This risks damage to material assets, the environment, and, at worst, loss of life, but is also a missed opportunity. You miss the chance to truly empower the operator, build for future scaling, and make the best use of technology. This is no way to build the operations of tomorrow.

Halogen's integration of human factors research and a user-centred design process creates a unique field of expertise that sets us apart from traditional engineering firms, consultancies, and design agencies. With over 20 years of experience, we have developed operations rooms, control rooms, and workstations in safety-critical environments worldwide, particularly within the defence, maritime, and energy sectors.

The technology race and rapid digitisation mean that consideration for real user needs and fundamental human traits often comes second to purely technical requirements. This can have catastrophic consequences, as shown by the sinking of the KNM Helge Ingstad and the blowout on Deepwater Horizon. In the investigations following both accidents, the commissions concluded that the crew and operators lacked adequate situational awareness, and that the physical design of the working environment prevented them from acting correctly. In such contexts, user-centred design is not a matter of taste, but crucial for operational success.

Through research and design practice, Halogen has developed its own specialized methodology for designing safety-critical environments. These methods are based on human-centred design, and integrate human factors research and SA theory (Situation Awareness). We focus on understanding the work situation, considering how people function under pressure, and prioritizing critical information. This is how we design digital systems and physical spaces that reduce decision-making time and operator error.

The interaction between human, technological, and organisational factors

The control rooms and operations centres we have designed are built on a thorough understanding of human needs, technological possibilities, and organisational conditions.

Halogen's designers conduct thorough insight and investigation work in the field, documenting findings both visually and in writing. We gain the most important insights by observing operational users in their environment and through in-depth interviews. In addition, a deep understanding of processes, culture, authority, responsibility, and the unique nature of the business is essential for designing workflows that are as natural as possible. Close collaboration with engineers, contractors, and architects is also vital for building robust solutions that make optimal use of available technology and infrastructure, and that satisfy current requirements.

Although control rooms and operations rooms vary greatly based on domain, context, and criticality, there are some fundamental elements we always strive for:

• Good Individual and Shared Situational Awareness: We design physical spaces, workflows, and digital user interfaces that support operators' ability to perceive, understand, and anticipate events, especially under intense time pressure.

• Reduction of Physical and Cognitive Strain: By applying principles and guidelines from human factors studies, we ensure that systems work in harmony with natural human limitations and strengths, both cognitively and physically.

We deliver user insight, validated concepts, and detailed design documentation

Our deliverables contribute to good decision support, risk management, and ownership among key professionals and stakeholders. Our way of working is inclusive, ensuring that important disciplines feel looked after. It is innovative and visual, giving all stakeholders a shared understanding.

Halogen delivers everything from high-level concepts to detailed design of digital user interfaces and physical solutions:

• User Insight: We map user needs and conduct technological feasibility studies to create the best possible foundation for designing solutions.

• Concept Development and Validation: We visualise and prototype concepts, sketching solutions that meet the needs of the client and end-users. We carry out co-creative processes where the concepts are validated.

• Detailing: We deliver complete designs of processes, digital user interfaces, and physical workstations and rooms.

• Implementation: We contribute to the implementation processes to ensure that solutions are completed in accordance with user insights and concepts.

Contact Andreas Myskja Lien or Lasse Pedersen Skillbrei at Halogen to talk about how your development work can benefit from our approach and expertise.