Decision-Making and Usability in Power Grid Systems : A Study of Interaction Design and Data Visualization

Sammanfattning

The research and development of data visualizations to support power grid operation faces a number of challenges. Increasing data complexity place high demands on both operators and the visual tools used to achieve their tasks. While new visualization approaches continue to emerge, many are insufficiently evaluated in terms of how they function in practical contexts. This thesis presents a user-centered approach to evaluating power grid data visualizations by investigating how users’ decision-making process is shaped and supported by interface layout and interaction design. A prototype simulating a power grid system was developed and controlled through two contrasting interfaces. A mixed methods approach was used by conducting a user study with 16 participants, tasked with solving power redispatching tasks in a constrained network grid. Results found that while user strategy was in large part the same across interfaces, key design elements such as layout complexity, control, and visual mapping supported or stifled the decision-making process of users, and in turn the overall usability of the system.