Human-Centered Design Approach to the Development of a Graphical User-Interface for Visual Inspection Task: A Use-Case in the Aircraft Manufacturing

The inspection process of aircraft parts is a specially demanding activity due to its strict standards and could be quite stressful for inspectors. To optimize the inspection process, support and digitize the visual inspection and improve working conditions, a portable device was developed. The present study addresses the development of a graphical user-interface (GUI) for this device. It was used need-finding techniques and ergonomics participatory approaches with the goal of addressing inspectors’ needs, while respecting the task’s requirements. As a result, this study presents the iterative process of developing the user interface (UI) from requirements definition to several stages of fidelity of the prototype. The usability tests carried out secured qualitative and quantitative data, from various techniques, such as video recordings, users’ think-aloud, questionnaires, and notes. This combination of techniques enabled a deeper understanding of the real needs, supporting the design and improvements of the GUI, foreseeing participants’ satisfaction and the inspection task’s efficiency and effectiveness.