WindWard

Problem Overview

Growing up sailing I learned quickly how much knowledge it takes to sail and race boats. Many sailboats have technology on them to help sailors understand the variables around them. These devices display in depth information about tides, underwater landscapes affecting drift, wind direction, wind type, wave direction and course maps.

While these charts have been mostly helpful they, like the sport, are extremely complicated to understand. Take for example this chart featured by Yachting Monthly. Even for an expert digitals charts are difficult to read and get the right information needed for split second decisions. There is too much noise created when presenting this data to a beginner sailor. Tools like this digital map become more of a hindrance than a help.

Task Analysis and Human Factors Alignment

A piece of technology is needed to display a simplified version of current digital charts and that only includes necessary information. This information needs to be shown in a highly user friendly way so that there is a small learning curve to using the device and reading the data. This design needs to be a more user friendly version of pre-existing digital chart maps. One important thing to take into consideration is the efficiency of the data, and only the basic data points should be included. Following the 80/20 rule, I will include the 20% of data that the user uses 80% of the time. This will help simplify the design and enhance the usability. By being a simpler design it will also be quicker to use when sailing.

Human-Tech Ladder

Physical: When designing this product I have taken into account its physical attributes. This device was created with easy mounting in mind as it has two ways to connect it to the boat. I took into account the physical conditions that one would be using this device in. I prioritized large bold fonts that could be easily seen in harsh weather conditions.

Psychological: By following the 80/20 rule I focused on including essential data points only. By only including the top 20 most needed data points I have reduced the cognitive load on the sailor allowing them to focus on sailing and not waste time trying to understand the chart.

Team: Sailing is rarely an individual sport, with most types of races and outing being a team activity. This type of device helps to facilitate communication and understanding of current events between team members. By having real time data shared between people this can reduce the number of miscommunications.

Organizational: For organized racing teams and sailing organizations having a device that is uniform across boats and fleets is key. This reduces the learning curve, as there is a standardized device between all boats and no need to learn new systems for different boats. It ensures that complex sailing data is always organized for sailors.

Political: This device was built with accessibility in mind, especially for those who are visually impaired. As many sailors are elderly they can struggle with vision impairments. This device allows them to be a contributing member of the sailing team for as long as possible.

Proposed Design

My Grandfathers Etch A Sketch

To start this process I went to the whiteboard to lay out all my ideas, possible types of data, plan of action and the physical prototype. I was very inspired by my grandfather, a lifelong sailor, when creating this design. One thing he had one his boat that he uses to fill this technological gap is an etch a sketch. He was able to convey the important information and ideas to others on the boat and write down stats and numbers needed for later. This device was the original inspiration for what I wanted my new product to do, display only the most important data points and do so clearly.

My first step in the sketching process was to determine all of the data parts and components I wanted to be included. After editing the list for what I wanted to keep, add or scratch I ended up with two features.

Once I could visualize the physical components of this deceive, I started to lay out the data. I was inspired by medical devices as they face some of the same issues I had with trying to display a lot of numerical data that needs to be distinct from each other and clear upon first glance.

I practiced laying out data for my prototype and adjusted based on viability. I tried my best to recreate the conditions when sailing as this helped me think about how I wanted the data organized. One thing I noticed was how important separation of the data was to finding values quickly.

Python Protype Implementation

In the python implementation I used input handling by creating simulated data which can be seen in the boat1 instance. (boat1 = basic("NW", "17.2 kn", "18.1 - 19.2 kn", "Close-Reach", "Low : 4.59 ft", "45.5 F", "34 F")). The implementation then returns feedback to the user in the form of two graphs. The upper graphs contain the heading directions and the heading map. The bottom graphic has all the other data points. This was done to help separate features and keep their groups distinct.

One thing I focused on here was readability for the user. I made sure to have high contrasts between my background and the text. The contrast ratios for my colors are extremely high in hopes of aiding all types of sailors especially elderly ones with lower vision. This type of accessibility is very important as even sailors without vision issues face conditions that impair their ability to see such as strong winds, rain, and sun.

Color Contrast Ratios:

Red Text to Background: 7.93:1 Blue Text to Background: 13.59:1 Green Text to Background : 8.93:1 Black Text to Background: 21.00:1

Another way I made this interface accessible is to separate information for viewers who are color blind. This physical separation will help to differentiate data types for users who are color blind. This helps the user to quickly find the point they are looking for.