<p>The Functional Resonance Accident Model is a method developed to analyze complex systems for the purpose of accident prevention. In FRAM-analysis a visualization of the complex system is created as an aid for identifying points of interaction in the system where the risk of accidents is high, and to determine where preventive measures are to be placed. FRAM Visualizer is a computer program developed as a tool for creating such visualizations.</p><p>Many usability problems have been identified in FRAM visualizations created both manually according to established method and by using the FRAM Visualizer software. The purpose of this paper is to give a basis for how FRAM visualizations can be improved in accordance with usability criteria for use in future qualitative studies.</p><p>The author suggests alterations to the FRAM visualization to resolve usability issues identified in previous articles and to achieve usability goals derived from visual communication theory. The design process is guided by established design principles. The author outlines a proposal for usability testing of the redesigned FRAM visualization to verify that it achieves the usability goals.</p><p>The author concludes that though the redesign offers solutions for the most important problems (providing the user with detailed information as a basis for analysis and enabling the layout of clearer and more easily overviewed structures in the FRAM diagrams) the visualization must be subjected to usability testing to determine whether the design criteria have been achieved and the solutions of design problems are satisfactory. The redesigned visualization appears most effective when presented in an interactive format. It often requires multiple optimized static views to satisfactorily support browsing both in overview and in detail.</p><p> </p>
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:UPSALLA/oai:DiVA.org:liu-54684 |
| Date | January 2010 |
| Creators | Toftgård, Mikael |
| Publisher | Linköping University, Department of Science and Technology |
| Source Sets | DiVA Archive at Upsalla University |
| Language | Swedish |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Student thesis, text |
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