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Trans RINA, Vol 156, Part C1, Intl J Marine Design, Jan -Dec2014


3.3 IMPLEMENTATION 3.3 (a) User feedback


One of the key elements of this project was the implementation of the design. The consoles were built and installed on board a 30-meter Damen tug. The designers accompanied the sea trial to investigate how the console design was assessed by the crew (figure 9). This resulted in a large amount of insights and feedback about


the use of the design improvement over previous proposal from user


perspective (captain and crew), but also from installers and fabricators during the process before first operation. Generally, the


Figure 9: Testing of functional design during sea trial


designed product was considered an designs because of the


logical arrangement of console components and the free view to the outside world. However, more space was requested for placing personal products, such as laptops, cell phones, etc.


3.3 (b) Installer feedback


From the installer’s perspective, the new consoles are better to work with than previous designs. The large space to install components and free space to neatly guide cables and wires results in a console which is clean and well-arranged. This makes it easier to find faults when maintaining the console. The access via the hinged top, in combination with hatches in the back and sides is considered an improvement over current installed consoles. The hatches offer access to electronics without disturbing the captain during


operation. This is


important, as the hatches need to provide open access to the fuses which are to be checked first in case of noticing an electrical fault.


3.3 (c) Fabricator feedback


The fabricators were pleased with the small amount of subparts needed to fabricate the console. It reduces the number of errors and tightens the margins between subparts. Since it is difficult to hand-build two separate parts to fit together extremely tightly, the fabricators were content with the deliberate large margins as a design feature. Some parts of the console are deliberately designed to cover up building margins


continuous quality in series production. 4.


CONCLUSIONS 4.1 DESIGN PROCESS EVALUATION


Involving users in a project as experts in the beginning and final stages of the process might seem relatively inefficient. Surely, the time and effort to listen to users and clients resulting in numerous criteria might be better spent on the ideation and concept phase. It is however important to strike a balance between the need for input required by the designers and the need for stakeholders to participate to retrieve this input.


As can be seen in figure 1, the designers took on an individual role in the ideation and concept design phase. Because they had been well informed and submerged in the content by acquisition of qualitative user data, they were able to translate the needs and wishes into a product design. Because of the involvement of stakeholders in a later project stage, the design interpretations could be verified and altered where needed. User involvement needs to be carefully managed in order to get the exact information needed, without running down to endless conversations. This requires the ability to quickly translate the qualitative information into empathy and understanding to keep up with the efficiency needed in an industrial design project.


It is effective to actively involve stakeholders in the design process, as long as the project allows for design iteration. Since stakeholders are the true experts in their respective


initially designed to be used. These insights will also change with every design iteration, as the new design interpretations provide new user cues. After all, good design is


never finished. 4.2 CONSOLE DESIGN EVALUATION leaving a


The consoles resulting from this project have shown to be a great improvement on the previous harbour tug console design from user


perspective. By now, this


design has been standardised and is currently being used on board a variety of Damen tugs. Insights were given into how the consoles are being used on board a vessel during operation. This offered possibilities to better tailor the designs towards a more comfortable and safer working environment. The project has provided Damen with answers why a design proposal solution,


is a workable rather than a mere engineered solution. The


consoles are a distinctive design feature in the Damen tug wheelhouses and are in this way differentiating Damen tugs from competition through enhanced Human Factors resolve of the console.


fruitful insights in how a product will eventually really be used. This is often different


field, their thoughts and advice provide from how a product is


It merely proposes new


opportunities for improvement, new insights in user interaction and sets the bar for the current standard.


C-62


©2014: The Royal Institution of Naval Architects


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