Designing control centers around people: Why operator experience matters

More information does not automatically make decisions easier

Modern control centers have access to more data, systems, and visualization options than ever before. That is fundamentally an advantage. In practice, however, we also see that more information does not automatically lead to better or faster decisions.

With every additional system, the effort required to assess information, recognize relationships, and prioritize correctly increases. When employees have to switch between multiple applications, compare alerts, or bring information together themselves, this creates additional strain.

This becomes particularly relevant in situations where decisions need to be made quickly. A control room therefore needs to do more than provide information. It needs to help people understand that information quickly, put it into context, and act on it with confidence.

Operator experience is more than a good user interface

Intuitive user interfaces naturally play an important role. But that alone is not enough for day-to-day operations. 

What matters is how the entire workplace functions: What information is available? How is it presented? Which workflows does the system support? How do different roles and teams work together? If employees have to monitor several applications in parallel, compare alerts manually, or decide for themselves which information should take priority at a given moment, cognitive load increases. 

That takes time and increases the risk that important relationships are recognized too late. Good operator experience reduces precisely this kind of friction. 

How problems become visible in day-to-day operations

Many control centers have evolved over years. New systems have been added, existing workflows adapted, and additional information sources integrated. This often creates working environments in which all the necessary information is available but still has to be gathered and assessed manually. 

Typical examples from operations include: 

• Relevant information is spread across different applications or displays.  
• Employees compare information manually across several systems.  
• In the event of an incident, priorities have to be derived from a large number of alerts.  
• High alarm volumes attract attention but do not always provide the necessary context.  
• Information is lost during shift handovers or changes in role.  
• Systems display information but provide only limited support for the next course of action.  

These problems rarely stem from a single system. They arise where information presentation, processes, and the working environment do not work together effectively. 

The room is part of the overall system

A control center is more than a technical environment. It is a workplace that is often used around the clock. 

That means even seemingly small factors matter: viewing angles to displays, reflections, acoustics, walking routes, or the ability to coordinate quickly with other team members. 

At any single moment, these points may seem insignificant. Over the course of an entire shift, however, they can make a noticeable difference. That is why we do not look at room design, technology, and workflows in isolation. 

Involve operational teams early

One point is particularly important from my perspective: The people who will later work in the control room every day should be involved early in the planning process. 

Many questions can only be answered to a limited extent on the drawing board. Does the information display still work under time pressure? Are movement paths practical? Can important information be understood quickly? Does coordination between different roles work? Mock-ups, simulations, and test runs help answer these questions at an early stage. 

The experience of operational teams often reveals very quickly which solutions work in practice and where adjustments are still needed. 

Start with the decisions that need to be made

For me, operator experience does not begin with the screen or the workstation. 

It begins with the question: What decisions do people in this control room need to make, and what information do they need to make them? 

Only then should it be decided how information is presented, which systems need to be connected, and how workplaces and rooms should be designed. This sequence matters. Because even a technically high-performing environment is of little value if employees still have to search for, compare, or combine information themselves at the critical moment. 

Good operator experience reduces unnecessary strain

In the end, the goal is not to provide people with as much information as possible. The goal is to help them identify the right information at the right moment and work with it confidently. 

Looking at information presentation, workflows, the room, and the workplace together helps identify friction early and reduce it in a targeted way.