2. www.go2adc.com/HMI
• Start your HMI project by visualizing it
on paper first
• Keep the operator’s point-of-view and
ease-of-use in mind
• Document each screen’s content
- Main Screen
- Equipment Status Screens
- Setpoint/Recipe Screens
- Alarm Lists
- Manual selections and message
displays
• Highlight dynamic graphics - status
indicators
• Include repeated graphics - titles and
navigation buttons
• Gives an early review of HMI design
1. Start with a Story Board
3. 2. Ask the Operator
www.go2adc.com/HMI
• Refine the story board with comments
from the operator and other relevant
plant personnel
• Keep in mind what is most important to
the operator
• Don’t overwhelm with too much data,
focus only on what is needed to
understand the state of the machine or
process
• Want data to be clean and understood
with just a glance
4. • “There’s a frustrated artist residing in
many of us, but HMI screen design isn’t
the time or place to express these
urges.”
• Use caution when developing graphics
• Not necessary to use all color and
animations available in the software
• Spinning pumps, valves opening and
fluid flowing through pipes is cool but
may be excessive and distracting
• Only animate if it makes the operator
more efficient
3. Avoid Distracting Animations
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5. 4. “As Clear as Black and White”
Many HMI guidelines recommend
limiting the use of color in your
HMI screens...
Many HMI guidelines recommend
limiting the use of color in your
HMI screens...
• Color is important and has a purpose
Ex: Red for Alarm/Danger
Green for On/Running/Active
Gray for Off/Disabled
• Color, when used, should be used
consistently and with an agreed upon
scheme
• Limit excessive color usage, consider
low contrast gray backgrounds and the
use of white indicators
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6. 5. Display the Data Completely
• How you display the data is as
important as the data itself
• Different data will require different
display types
• A number on the screen may accurately
indicate speed, but units and range may
be in question
• Use tables, meters, sliders to accurately
represent data
• Trend Graphs display past and present
data and are good
indicators of future
values
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7. Additional Resources
www.go2adc.com/HMI
• Many guidelines, standards and hand-
books are available covering HMI best
practices and design
- ASM
- ISO
- NUREG
- ISA
- etc...
• Creating internal HMI design guidelines
will ensure consistent and effective
HMI screens from one machine or
project to the next
8. Get more than you paid for with...
www.go2adc.com/HMI
