Back to the future: On the typography of electronic flight deck documentation

Abstract

Prompted by a series of air accidents in the 1980s, Dr Asaf Degani's 1992 report, “On the Typography of Flight Deck Documentation,” reshaped the design of documents such as manuals, maps, charts, and checklists. His report addressed key principles of typography in printed documentation and provided 19 recommendations for best practice. These are now being applied to contemporary digital documentation. Consequently, our research team, comprising of practicing type designers, revisited the original report to determine whether the suggested conventions remain applicable in a contemporary setting. The findings highlight that some recommendations were based on misconceptions due to inconsistent terminology and now obsolete technologies, which led to a generalization of isolated typographic settings. This is problematic, given that absolute guidelines can only be applied to one specific typeface at a time, due to the varying characteristics of letterforms among different typefaces. Therefore, this single-source review aims to reset the baseline of typographic understanding, rekindle the conversation about legibility in flight safety, and highlight the importance of a more comprehensive approach to typography to improve legibility and, thus, safety. It follows the original report’s structure, providing reflections on Degani’s findings and updated information as required. Further, we provide revised recommendations, directions for future research and an outlook into the future of typography, which is currently undergoing unprecedented technological changes.