The Process of Developing a Mobile Device for Communication in a Safety-Critical Domain

This paper describes the process of developing an interactive mobile system for use in a safety-critical domain. The system was developed to inquire into the extent of which coordination between people carrying out a collaborative work task can be improved by means of computer mediated communication on a mobile device. The application area for the device was controlling and monitoring processes in the safety-critical domain of a large container vessel when it arrives at or leaves a harbor. The development process involved ethnographic studies of work activities in this domain, analysis of communication between actors involved in the work activities, design and implementation of an experimental prototype, and two usability evaluations of the prototype. We emphasize the analysis and design activities and outline the challenges involved in the development of the mobile device. Also, we outline how our experiences are relevant in a more general context.