Lessons from Three Mile Island: Visual Design in a High-stakes Environment

Abstract

Complex systems with mediated control at a distance are explored using the Three Mile Island nuclear accident of 1979 as the focus. In such a high-stakes environment, representations of operations are critical to support human-machine interactions and monitor safe operations. A time-line of the critical first minutes of the event is presented and an analysis of operations in the control room from a communication perspective point toward principles for a better design. While the case of Three Mile Island is well documented from an engineering perspective, its relationship to communication design and interaction design provide insight with regard to necessary collaboration across disciplines.