Designing a Submarine Interface
UX/UI Design for Critical Maritime Systems
Advanced submarine monitoring interface design
Situation1/4
At Saab Kockums AB, submarines operate in extreme environments where alarm floods, due to system malfunctions, overwhelm the crew. These floods can be life-threatening if not addressed immediately. The existing alarm management system was inadequate, leading to high cognitive loads for operators during critical situations.
Task2/4
My task during my master's thesis was to improve the user experience of the Ship Control and Monitoring System. Specifically, I aimed to design a solution that would reduce the stress caused by alarm floods, helping operators make quicker, more informed decisions in emergencies.
Action3/4
I led a three-phase design process involving user-centered design principles. I developed several prototypes, starting with low-fidelity sketches and moving to a final high-fidelity prototype in Figma. I introduced features such as alarm grouping, graphical overview tools (such as submarine maps and timelines), and alarm prioritization. I conducted usability tests with The Swedish Armed Forces operators, gathering critical feedback to iterate on the design.
Result4/4
The final design successfully reduced cognitive load and received an improved SUS-Score from 63% to 84% during alarm floods, allowing operators to prioritize alarms more effectively. The solution was well-received by both Saab Kockums and FM, and is slated for future implementation in the next-generation A26 submarines.
Contact
Interested in discussing UX/UI design for critical systems? Let's connect and explore how we can work together.
Get in Touch
Rebecca Liss
UX/UI Engineer