Download - 5 Tips for Effective HMI Design
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• Start your HMI project by visualizing it on paper first
• Keep the operator’s point-of-view and ease-of-use in mind
• Document each screen’s content - Main Screen - Equipment Status Screens - Setpoint/Recipe Screens - Alarm Lists - Manual selections and message displays• Highlight dynamic graphics - status
indicators• Include repeated graphics - titles and
navigation buttons• Gives an early review of HMI design
1. Start with a Story Board
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2. Ask the Operator
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• Refine the story board with comments from the operator and other relevant plant personnel
• Keep in mind what is most important to the operator
• Don’t overwhelm with too much data, focus only on what is needed to understand the state of the machine or process
• Want data to be clean and understood with just a glance
• “There’s a frustrated artist residing in many of us, but HMI screen design isn’t the time or place to express these urges.”
• Use caution when developing graphics• Not necessary to use all color and
animations available in the software• Spinning pumps, valves opening and
fluid flowing through pipes is cool but may be excessive and distracting
• Only animate if it makes the operator more efficient
3. Avoid Distracting Animations
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4. “As Clear as Black and White”
Many HMI guidelines recommend limiting the use of color in your HMI screens...
Many HMI guidelines recommend limiting the use of color in your HMI screens...
• Color is important and has a purpose Ex: Red for Alarm/Danger Green for On/Running/Active Gray for Off/Disabled• Color, when used, should be used
consistently and with an agreed upon scheme
• Limit excessive color usage, consider low contrast gray backgrounds and the use of white indicators
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5. Display the Data Completely
• How you display the data is as important as the data itself
• Different data will require different display types
• A number on the screen may accurately indicate speed, but units and range may be in question
• Use tables, meters, sliders to accurately represent data
• Trend Graphs display past and present data and are good indicators of future values
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Additional Resources
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• Many guidelines, standards and hand-books are available covering HMI best practices and design
- ASM - ISO - NUREG - ISA - etc...• Creating internal HMI design guidelines
will ensure consistent and effective HMI screens from one machine or project to the next
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