Abstract

The design of interactive systems in high-stakes work environments such as medicine and aviation, is guided by domain knowledge. The design of artifacts and interfaces for use in these “expert domains” is driven by the explanations and expectations of practitioners who use these interactive systems to complete work tasks. Interaction designers may be new to the expert domain under design yet need to gain a solid design expertise within the domain before they can propose innovations. How do interaction designers gain deep conceptual understanding of the domain under design? A research collaboration between the University of Washington’s Interaction Design Graduate Program and Boeing’s Flight Deck Concept Center explored new directions in interaction design for the commercial flight deck. As a case study, the project demonstrates how interaction designers can successfully contribute to innovation in the high-stakes environment of aviation, where design impacts practice at the intersection of technology, experts, and their work. A review of the design process outlines the challenges of designing for expert domains and describes new strategies for interdisciplinary collaboration between designers, researchers, and engineers in the fields of interaction design and aviation.