Another giant in the field of Cognitive Systems Engineering has been lost. Jens Rasmussen created one of the most comprehensive and integrated foundations for understanding the dynamics of sociotechnical systems available today. Drawing from the fields of semiotics (Eco), control engineering, and human performance, his framework was based on a triadic semiotic dynamic, which he parsed in terms of three overlapping perspectives. The Abstraction Hiearchy (AH) provided a way to characterize the system relative to a problem ecology and the consequences and possibilities for action. He introduced the constructs Skills-, Rules-, and Knowledge (SRK) as a way to emphasize the constraints on the system from the perspective of the observers-actors. Finally, he introduced the construct of Ecological Interface Design (EID) as a way to emphasize the constraints on the system from the perspective of representations.
Jens had a comprehensive vision of the sociotechnical system and we have only begun to plumb the depths of this framework and to fully appreciate its value as both a basic theory of systems and as a pragmatic guide for the engineering and design of safer more efficient systems.
Jens death is a very personal loss for me. He was a valued mentor who saw potential in a very naive, young researcher long before it was evident or deserved. He opened doors for me and created opportunities that proved to be essential steps in my education and professional development. Although I may never realize the potential that Jens envisioned, he set me on a path that has proved to be both challenging and satisfying. I am a better man for having had him as a friend and mentor.
A website has been created to allow future researchers to benefit from Jens' work.