scope:

The series of standards VDI/VDE 3850 applies to the design of usable (ergonomic) user interfaces for technical plants in industrial applications in German-speaking countries, whereby "user interface" shall be understood to include all the components of a plant that interact with and are percepti-ble to users of the plant.

Interaction is to be interpreted as being all observable action and cognitive effort at a technical plant required to achieve the desired result of a task. Interaction takes place via an interface between a person and a machine, i.e. an interface between two structurally different systems; for the sake of simplicity this is called a user interface in this standard.

The information given in this part of the series of standards VDI 3850 is intended for users who are responsible for planning, developing, managing and evaluating activities relating to the design of usable user interfaces for technical plants.

This standard defines principles, rules and recommendations on the development of usable user interfaces for technical plants and gives advice on their use, in order to match the properties of the user interface to the properties and capabilities of human beings. In certain applications, supplementary information may be necessary.