Introduction to HCI

Human Computer Interaction

Thanks to Indiana University USA
For BSIT-2nd (M+E)

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 Contents and Goals
► Motivate the field of HCI
► Learn
 Basics of interface design
 Evaluation of interfaces
 HCI research problems
 HCI community (conferences and people)

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 What the class will look like
► Lectures
► Readings + Quizzes + Presentations (?)
► Initial user study (web interface comparison)
► Final project
 Identify a client
 Create a new interface
 Evaluate the interface
► Differences between undergrad/grad
 Project requirements
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 Why take this course?
► Build your portfolio
 Work on a project you’ve always wanted
► Study a unique topic
 A computer science course focused on users
► Skill building
 Important in most research
 Burgeoning job field

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 Intro
► What is a user interface?
► Why do we care about design?

► We see this all the time.

 What’s good about the design of this error box?
► The user knows there is an error
 What’s poor about the design of this error box?
► Discouraging
► Notenough information
► No way to resolve the problem (instructions or contact info)
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 Definition of HCI
► HCI deals with the design, evaluation and implementation
of interactive computing systems for human use and with
the study of major phenomena surrounding them.
 It defines how a user will interacts with a software/hardwar.

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 Why HCI is Important
► The study of our interface with information.
► It is not just ‘how big should I make buttons’ or ‘how to
layout menu choices’
► It can affect
 Effectiveness
 Productivity
 Usability
 Safety
► Example: a car with poor HCI
► Take 5 minutes for everyone to write down one common
device with substantial HCI design choices and discuss with
the neighbor the pros and cons. How does it affect you or
other users?

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My Choice
► iPod by Apple
Computers
► Pros:
 portable
 power
 ease of use
 functions
► Cons:
 scratches easily
 no speech for car use
 proprietary
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 What fields does HCI cover?
► Computer Science
► Psychology (cognitive)
► Communication
► Education
► Anthropology
► Design (e.g. graphic and industrial)

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 HCI Community
► Academics/Industry Research
 Taxonomies
 Theories
 Predictive models
► Experimenters
 Empirical data
 Product design
► Other areas (Sociologists,
anthropologists, managers)
 Motor
 Perceptual
 Cognitive
 Social, economic, ethics

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 HCI Tools
► Sound
► 3D
► Animation
► Video
► Devices
 Size (small->very large)
 Portable (PDA, phone)
 Modeling
► Context sensitive/aware
► Personalizable
► Ubiquitous

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 Usability Requirements
► Goals:
 Usability
 Universality
 Usefulness
► Achieved by:
 Planning
 Sensitivity to user needs
 Devotion to requirements analysis
 Testing

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 Bad Interfaces
► Inability
► Confusing
► Slow
► Trust (ex. windows crashing)
► What makes it hard?
 Multiple platforms
 Variety of users

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► What’s wrong with each?
 Type of error
 Who is affected
 Impact
► What’s a redesign solution?

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 Requirements Analysis
1. Find users’ needs
2. Ensure proper reliability
3. Promote consistency
4. Complete projects on schedule and within budget

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 Find User’s Needs
► Define tasks
 Tasks
 Subtasks
► Frequency
 Frequent
 Occasional
 Exceptional
 Repair
► Ex. difference between a space
satellite, car engine, and fighter jet

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 Reliability
► Actions / functions as specified
► Data displayed must be correct
► Updates correctly
► No bug
► High in Privacy, security, access
► Low in data destruction, tampering

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 •Time to learn
•Speed of performance
Usability Motivations •Rate of errors
•Retention over time
•Subjective satisfaction
► Life-Critical systems
 Applications: air traffic, nuclear reactors, military, emergency
dispatch
 Requirements: reliability (even under stress)
 Not as important: cost, long training
► Industrial and Commercial Use
 Applications: banking, insurance, inventory, reservations
 Requirements: short training, ease of use, speed
► Office, Home, and Entertainment
 Applications: E-mail, ATMs, games, education, search engines,
cell phones/PDA
 Requirements: Ease of learning/use/retention, error rates,
satisfaction

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 •Time to learn
•Speed of performance
Usability Motivations •Rate of errors
•Retention over time
•Subjective satisfaction
► Exploratory, Creative, Collaborative
 Applications: Web browsing, search engines,
simulations, scientific visualization, CAD, computer
graphics, music composition/artist, photo arranger
(email photos)
 Requirements: accuracy, user satisfaction
 Difficulties: user tech savvy-ness (apply this to
application examples)
► Socio-technical systems
 Applications: health care, voting, police
 Requirements: Trust, security, accuracy

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 Universal Usability
► Interface should handle diversity of
users
 Backgrounds
 Abilities
 Motivation
 Personalities
 Cultures
► Question, how would you design an
interface to a database differently for:
 A. right-handed female, Indian, software
engineer, technology savvy, wants rapid
interaction
 B. left-handed male, French, artist

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 Universal Usability
► Does not mean ‘dumbing down’
 Ex. Helping disabled has helped
others (parents w/ strollers, elderly)
 Ex. Door handles
► Goal: Address the needs of more
users - unlike yourself!
► Everyone is often not at full
faculties at all times

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 Users with Disabilities
► Federal law to ensure access to IT, including computers and
web sites. (1998 Amendment to Rehabilitation Act)
► Disabilities
 Vision
► Blind (bill-reader)
► low-vision
► color-blind
 Hearing
► Deaf
► Limited hearing
 Mobility
 Learning
► Dyslexia
► Attention deficient, hemisphere specific, etc.
► Keyboard and mouse alternatives
► Color coding
► Font-size 22
 Users with Disabilities - Solution
► Contrast
► Text descriptors for web
images
► Screen magnification
► Text to Speech (TTS) –
JAWS (web pages)
 Check email on the road, in
bright sunshine, riding a bike
► Speech Recognition
► Eye Gaze Control

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 Elderly
► Reduced
 Motor skills
 Perception
 Vision, hearing, touch, mobility
 Speed
 Memory
► Other needs
 Technology experience is varied
(How many grandmothers use
email? mothers?)
 Uninformed on how technology
could help them
 Practice skills (hand-eye, problem
solving, etc.)
► Touch screens, larger fonts,
louder sounds 24
 Children
► Technology saviness?
► Age changes much:
 Physical dexterity
► (double-clicking, click and drag, and small targets)
 Attention span
 (vaguely) Intelligence
► Varied backgrounds (socio-economic)
► Goals
 Educational acceleration
 Socialization with peers
 Psychological - improve self-image, self-confidence
 Creativity – art, music, etc. exploration
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 Exercise
► How HCI can increase profit?
► What factors can increase interface?
► How HCI can be used to enhance for kids,
older people and women?

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