The Nautical Institute presenting at the IMO

In collaboration with ITF, our Senior Technical Advisor Capt. Aly Elsayed presented important industry findings following a big survey on HCD

The survey, conducted as part of the EU co funded OCEAN Project, to which The Nautical Institute is a proud partner of, highlights the Importance of Human-Centred Design in Maritime Safety.

On Monday, 13th January, during the 11th session of the IMO Sub-Committee on Ship Design and Construction (SDC-11), The Nautical Institute’s Senior Advisor, Capt. Aly Elsayed AFNI, joined Professor Margareta Lützhöft FNI of Western Norway University and Dr Jonathan Earthy, Principal Human Factors Specialist at Lloyd’s Register, to present findings from the EU co-funded OCEAN Project.

The presentation underscored the critical role of Human-Centred Design (HCD) in enhancing maritime safety and operational excellence. Capt. Elsayed shared insights from the survey highlighting significant gaps in the engagement between designers and end-users, with many seafarers reporting limited involvement in the design process and insufficient opportunities to provide feedback on workplace challenges.

Attendees also had the opportunity to watch the training video Maritime Safety with HCD, which is freely available to promote awareness of HCD principles and the importance of user feedback in design and ergonomics.

Dr Earthy discussed the fundamentals of HCD, referencing ISO 9241-210, and the opportunities and challenges in applying these principles, while Prof. Lützhöft detailed the practical impacts of design on seafarers’ daily operations.

This collaboration between The Nautical Institute, the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), and other OCEAN Project partners aims to place seafarers at the centre of design innovation, fostering a culture of safety, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

For more information and to access the OCEAN Project training videos, visit here.