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Using Human-Centered Design to Develop a Neurophysiological Monitoring Suite of Technologies

SessionSD1: Human-Centered System Design

DescriptionNeurophysiological monitoring—such as electroencephalography (EEG) or functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)—has long supported clinical diagnoses and treatment decisions. These technologies also hold promise for enhancing performance assessment and decision-making in high-stakes environments like aviation and emergency response. However, their broader adoption is limited by complex hardware, signal processing demands, and the need for expert interpretation. We present a human-centered design approach used to develop an integrated neurophysiological monitoring suite that enables non-experts—such as military trainers or pilots—to access and act on brain data in real-time. The suite includes a wearable fNIRS sensor, custom analytics for estimating cognitive and physiological states, and intuitive visualizations to support real-time decision-making. Designed through iterative testing with operational stakeholders, the system emphasizes wearability, signal quality, usability, and interpretability. We discuss key design challenges, including aligning hardware design with data integrity and balancing data granularity with cognitive load. In addition to presenting the resulting system, we will outline the human-centered design methodology used to guide its development. By making neurophysiological insights accessible to users without specialized training, this work demonstrates how thoughtful design can bridge the usability gap and extend the reach of brain-monitoring technologies beyond clinical and research settings.

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