Structuring the simulation for participation during design: Designing integrated operations centers in the oil...

The need for participative approaches in design is a key concern for Ergonomics. There exists a vast array of philosophies and techniques which may come under the heading of participation, but several of these methods are indeed not really participatory in the real sense of the concept.

The aim of this study is to reveal the elements that allow an ergonomic simulation approach to be applied as a design process method centered on the work perspective and anchored on the participation concept.

This study is centered on the subsequent analysis of a case study: the design of an Onshore Collaborative Center (OCC), in the context of Integrated Operations (IO) of the oil industry. The simulation sessions were filmed and recorded, and a logbook of the progress of the design process was produced daily in order to preserve the memory of the case.

The main result of the research highlights that simulation is a method capable of presenting work as an important factor in the transformation of the project, as well as in technical choices, in addition to opening space for different participants and their various perspectives. However, for it to be an effective method of participation, there is the need for a "back and forth" process between work analysis and simulation during the ergonomic simulation approach.

This study showed which elements support the construction of ergonomic simulation as a method capable of structuring the participation in design process. For this, the simulation must be based on work analysis and articulate the knowledge of different actors for decision-making to allow for new developments while promoting the vision of work as an important decision variable in the design process.