Introduction to touchscreen multifunction displays (MFDs)

Touchscreen displays enable intuitive and efficient interactions with vessel systems, and allow for highly contextual presentation of controls and status information.

However, touchscreen displays may not always be appropriate as the primary means to control certain vessel systems or equipment. The detailed design of individual touchscreen displays can also cause problems for users unless individual screen-designs and the components they comprise (for example, soft-buttons, gauges, and background images) are carefully built and tested.

When designing a digital switching system that uses an MFD to control and monitor vessel systems, consider the following best practice recommendations.