SA Concepts

Design ideas that support Situation Awareness in industrial dashboards — helping users see clearly, understand confidently, and act decisively.

Why SA Concepts Matter

    Each concept addresses a real design challenge faced by operators, engineers, and teams as they monitor and respond to process information.

    These concepts are grounded in real operational needs, tested across platforms, and directly tied to Situation Awareness goals like clarity, timeliness, and comprehension.

    The Clear Picture SA framework adapts ideas from aviation, military, and healthcare — high-stakes domains where effective displays support fast, accurate decisions — to the context of industrial operations.

How SA Levels Guide Design

    Each concept supports one or more levels of Situation Awareness:

    • SA Level 1 — Perception: Is the information visible, current, and complete?
    • SA Level 2 — Comprehension: What does this information mean in context?
    • SA Level 3 — Projection: What will happen next if nothing changes?

    These levels help designers focus on the cognitive role their dashboards play in supporting user decisions.

Current SA Concepts