HCI 1st

Introduction
HCI (human-computer interaction) is the study of how people interact with computers and to what extent
computers are or are not developed for successful interaction with human beings.
As its name implies, HCI consists of three parts: the user, the computer itself, and the ways they work
together.
User
By "user", we may mean an individual user, a group of users working together. An appreciation of the way
people's sensory systems (sight, hearing, touch) relay information is vital. Also, different users form
different conceptions or mental models about their interactions and have different ways of learning and
keeping knowledge and. In addition, cultural and national differences play a part.
Computer
When we talk about the computer, we're referring to any technology ranging from desktop computers, to
large scale computer systems. For example, if we were discussing the design of a Website, then the
Website itself would be referred to as "the computer". Devices such as mobile phones or VCRs can also
be considered to be “computers”.
Interaction
There are obvious differences between humans and machines. In spite of these, HCI attempts to ensure
that they both get on with each other and interact successfully. In order to achieve a usable system, you
need to apply what you know about humans and computers, and consult with likely users throughout the
design process. In real systems, the schedule and the budget are important, and it is vital to find a
balance between what would be ideal for the users and what is feasible in reality.
The Goals of HCI

The goals of HCI are to produce usable and safe systems, as well as functional systems. In order to
produce computer systems with good usability, developers must attempt to:
 understand the factors that determine how people use technology

 develop tools and techniques to enable building suitable systems
 achieve efficient, effective, and safe interaction
 put people first
Underlying the whole theme of HCI is the belief that people using a computer system should come first.
Their needs, capabilities and preferences for conducting various tasks should direct developers in the
way that they design systems. People should not have to change the way that they use a system in order
to fit in with it. Instead, the system should be designed to match their requirements.
Usability
Usability is one of the key concepts in HCI. It is concerned with making systems easy to learn and use. A
usable system is:
 easy to learn
 easy to remember how to use
 effective to use
 efficient to use
 safe to use
 enjoyable to use
Why is usability important?
Many everyday systems and products seem to be designed with little regard to usability. This leads to
frustration, wasted time and errors. This list contains examples of interactive products:
mobile phone, computer, personal organizer, remote control, soft drink machine, coffee machine, ATM,
ticket machine, library information system, the web, photocopier, watch, printer, stereo, calculator,
videogame etc¦.
How many are actually easy, effortless, and enjoyable to use?
For example, a photocopier might have buttons like these on its control panel.
Factors in HCI
There are a large number of factors which should be considered in the analysis and design of a system
using HCI principles. Many of these factors interact with each other, making the analysis even more
complex. The main factors are listed in the table below:
Organization Factors
Training, job design, roles, work organization
Environmental Factors
Noise, heating, lighting, ventilation
Health and Safety Factors
The User
Cognitive processes and capabilities
Motivation, enjoyment, satisfaction, personality, experience
Comfort Factors
seating, equipment, and layout.
User Interface
Input devices, output devices, dialogue structures, use of colour, icons, commands, navigation, graphics,
natural language, user support, multimedia,
Task Factors
Easy, complex, novel, task allocation, monitoring, skills
Constraints
Cost, timescales, budgets, staff, equipment, buildings
System Functionality
Hardware, software, application
Productivity Factors
Increase output, increase quality, decrease costs, decrease errors, increase innovation
Disciplines contributing to HCI:The field of HCI covers a wide range of topics, and its development has
relied on contributions
from many disciplines. Some of the main disciplines which have contributed to HCI are:
Computer Science
technology
software design, development & maintenance
User Interface Management Systems (UIMS) & User Interface Development Environments (UIDE)
prototyping tools
graphics
Cognitive Psychology
information processing
capabilities
limitations
cooperative working
performance prediction
Social Psychology
social & organizational structures
Human Factors
hardware design
display readability
Linguistics
natural language interfaces
Artificial Intelligence
intelligent software
Philosophy, Sociology & Anthropology

Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW)
Engineering & Design
graphic design, engineering principles

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Introduction

The Goals of HCI

 understand the factors that determine how people use technology

Why is usability important?

How many are actually easy, effortless, and enjoyable to use?

Philosophy, Sociology & Anthropology

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