Ideas For a Great Control Room? 421
lewko writes "Our company is about to build a central monitoring facility and I'm looking for ideas/suggestions about the best hardware and the best way to make it comfortable for those manning a screen. It will be manned 24x7 and operators will be monitoring a variety of systems including security, network, fire, video and more. These will be observed via local multi-monitor workstations and a common videowall. This is going to be a massively expensive exercise and we only get one chance to get it right. The facility is in a secure windowless bunker and staff will generally be in there for many hours at a time. So we have to implement design elements which make it a 'happy' place. At the same time, it has to be ergonomically sound. Lastly, we will be showing it to our clients, so without undoing the above objectives, it would be nice if it was 'cool' (yet functional). Whilst Television doesn't transfer to real life always, think 'CTU' from 24."
Tapes... (Score:3, Funny)
Secure windowless bunker (Score:5, Funny)
Plenty of ideas here:
http://www.villainsource.com/lairs.html [villainsource.com]
The Red Button (Score:5, Funny)
Re:The Red Button (Score:5, Funny)
And when someone presses it, make another sign ligth up saying "Please do not press this button again."
Make it Functional, But install a Cool-Mode Button (Score:5, Funny)
Numerous commentors here point out the error of using cool colored dim lighting for a facility where actual work gets done. But you can have your cake (or Cake, if you are using cool indie rock background music) and eat it too - just have a button that switches the lighting to "cool mode" whenever a visitor comes in. Meaningless but cool looking graphic "screen savers" could also pop up on the screens.
Get help from pros (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Fake windows (Score:3, Funny)
Also, make it so that people have to get up from chairs once in a while.
AWFUL! What you want are high-back chairs that support the neck so you don't have to support your body the entire time. Also full recline capabilities help, too. Ideally, they'll never have to get up from their chairs. Think fridge under the table with microwave on top, etc. Also, if they do need to move around for who know why, make it so that they can roll over to their destination. I modified my desk so that I can put my legs forward on a padded leather cushion instead of having them dangle, this really added to my quality of life in the office. I have to get up to fetch things from the fridge, but that was a sacrifice I made so that I had room for a spare chair next to me when the occasional friend stops in.
Re:Fake windows (Score:3, Funny)
Re:The Red Button (Score:1, Funny)
Re:Fuck you (Score:1, Funny)
Bad news... I bought you a dog.
Don't fuck this up. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Star Trek (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Tape reels, and an ergonomics person (Score:3, Funny)
It's endearing how earnestly you try to help the OP. But let me assure you, when an Ask Slashdot appears starting with "My company is undertaking a multi-million dollar project, wat do I do lol," no comment ever is seriously given the remotest consideration.
Re:Fake windows (Score:3, Funny)
Bathroom is within the bunker and very close.
Toilet paper is a great idea. Thank you.
Management want the Three Seashells...
Don't touch it you fool! (Score:2, Funny)
Will his tortured mind give in to it's uncontrollable desires? Can he withstand the temptation to push the button, that even now, beckons him ever closer? Will he succumb to the maddening urge to eradicate history, at the mere push of a single button? The beautiful shiny button. The jolly candy-like button. Will he hold out, folks? Can he hold out?
Re:Get help from pros (Score:5, Funny)
I am the OP.
We asked a specialist company. They charged $5k and said "ask Slashdot".