Design call

The Nautical Institute and CIRM (the association for marine electronics companies) have launched an initiative to improve the usability of navigation and communication technology on board ships. David Patraiko, director of projects for The Nautical Institute, and Richard Doherty, chief technical officer for CIRM, announced the development of the CIRM User Feedback Forum. They said the best way to achieve usability in a system, product or service is to ask users what they think. This is the principle that underlies the concept of human-centred design (HCD). Applying HCD is a key goal of the International Maritime Organization’s eNavigation strategy.