Information Overload!

Abstract

This chapter presents a usability study of a prototype tool intended to support information gathering during crisis situations, thus helping professional key communicators monitor social media content from several media outlets in the same workspace. The main aim of the study is to investigate how situation awareness can be optimized for key communicators during emergencies. It does so by taking a mixed method approach on usability testing and by combining emotional responses and cognitive processes to better understand how the user perceives the tool. The study contributes to the field by illustrating the importance of designing for good situation awareness in services/platforms intended for crisis communication. A key conclusion is that the use of human-computer interaction (HCI) and usability studies are central for improving digital services in emergencies. High-stress contexts require rapid decision-making and leave no room for improvisation and perception. Therefore, comprehending digital solutions correctly is crucial for overall situation awareness.