Displays and Decisions – The Chicken or the Egg? The Influence of Displays on the Decision Making Process

Motivation – The goal is to encourage discussion on the philosophical approach to studying decision making. Research approach – A full design cycle included cognitive task analysis (CTA), display design, analysis of alternatives, and redesign. Findings – The visualizations influenced the decision process and the courses of action. Research Implications – This example illustrates an interesting question regarding decision making for envisioned problems and whether the designers should start by understanding how future operators are likely to think about the problem or by designing alternatives and studying their impact on decision making and course of action selection. Originality/Value – Multiple phases of a naturalistic design process are discussed as well as the impact of those displays on decision strategies. Take away message – Even when the design process starts with a CTA, it is important to examine how different ways of presenting or interacting with data effect how operators think about the task and take action.