Operator error with life threatening implications are ubiquitous in medical instrumentation because of poorly designed user interfaces in radiographicial medical devices. This paper's research question is; How can medical device equipment be made safer and more efficient by using human factor engineering design principles for novice users? Methods used for this study consist of a qualitative interview combined with quantitative statistics. The purpose of this is to uncover the potential on how efficient and safe medical device interfaces can become by implementing human factors engineering guidelines from NASA and linear structure research. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the user interfaces on a commercially available ultrasound machine, the General Electric Versana Essential with a prototype interface redesigned by implementing human factors engineering guidelines from NASA and a linear structure. Both the GE and the prototype of the new interface were subject to a user task where task completion time, mental demand and use error were recorded and compared. A total of 14 medical students were divided into groups of 7 each. One group (Group a) undertook a user task on the GE and group b on the prototype. The results from the prototype showed a significantly faster programming time, low mental demand and use error. When the ultrasound was redesigned using human factors engineering design guidelines, it became noticeably efficient, easier and more reliable for novices. The prototype was 48.1% faster to program and 63.3% efficient in mental demand and use error were reduced by 60 points, making the prototype more efficient and safer for novice users. The research derived from this paper can have a profound impact on the developments for other computer based medical device equipment in the future.