Daily Moments of SA
These are small, everyday interactions that illustrate key Situation Awareness principles in action.
They help connect abstract SA concepts to familiar experiences.
📱 “57 Minutes Until Full”
Principle: Present SA Level 2 Information Directly – Support Comprehension
Rather than displaying voltage or just a battery percentage, the phone gives you the information that matters:
How long until full?
This is Level 2 SA: Comprehension. It reduces the mental effort needed to interpret raw data and helps you plan your day quickly.
→ Imagine if a process dashboard did the same.
🚗 “Object on Road Ahead”
Principle: Provide Assistance for Level 3 SA – Support Projection
Modern GPS systems don’t just show your route. They warn you of possible hazards ahead — an object in the road, or even a police car reported by other drivers.
This forward-looking cue changes how you drive: you might adjust speed, watch nearby lanes, and stay alert for sudden maneuvers. If the hazard is gone, you can even update the system for others.
This is Level 3 SA: Projection. The display gives you a picture of what might happen ahead, so you can prepare before it becomes urgent.
→ Imagine if a process dashboard did the same — alerting you to what’s likely to happen next, so you can adjust process parameters proactively and avoid reacting too late, causing issues and inefficiencies.
🚀 “A Clear Picture of Launch”
Principle: Maintain Situational Awareness across multiple aspects of the environment
SpaceX live broadcasts demonstrate how a single display tile can keep the public oriented through every stage of a launch. Instead of raw telemetry, key metrics are always visible: speed, altitude, and mission elapsed time.
A timeline highlights completed milestones (e.g., Max-Q, stage separation) and anticipates upcoming ones. Simple visuals show engine state and spacecraft orientation, while widgets adapt dynamically to the phase of the mission (such as switching to an orbital view once in space).
→ Imagine if industrial dashboards did the same: keeping essentials visible and adapting seamlessly as processes move through phases.