The development of technical systems increasingly follows one or more of the following routes: Software changes with no visible effect on the interface; Automation where effects propagate through systems without being visible or understandable; Integrated systems with similar effects to automation but even more opaque to humans.The objective of the project was to study these trends, by using a combination of field study methods. Experienced researchers were complemented by briefly trained cadets to aid in the collection of valid data. As this data collection was performed, some cases of problems with automation and integration were indeed found. However, as a whole, the data shows that the two most common problems on the ship’s bridge were alarms and dimming. This shows that a focus on high-end technology only may be misdirected. We have still to solve very basic issues when it comes to human-machine interaction. The above examples show that we must put effort into designing a work system that resonates well with human vision and hearing, in combination with a demanding workplace.