Human-computer interaction (HCI)

- -multidisciplinary field of study focusing on the design of computer

technology and, in particular, the interaction between humans (the
users) and computers.
- all forms of information technology design.
- Study of how people interact with computers and to what extent
computers are or are not developed for successful interaction with
human beings
- consists of three parts:
1. the user,
2. the computer itself, and
3. 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.
● 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.
Until the late 1970s, the only humans who interacted with computers were
information technology professionals and dedicated hobbyists. This
changed disruptively with the emergence of personal computing in the
later 1970s.

The Meteoric Rise of HCI

-1980s with the advent of personal computing.
- Apple Macintosh
- IBM PC 5150
- Commodore 64 
-sophisticated electronic systems were available to general consumers for uses.
- processors
- games units
- games units
-as computers were no longer room-sized,
The Goals of HCI
- to produce usable and safe systems
-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
- HCI is related to concepts of Ergonomics and Human Factors.
- You have engineered a product, process or system to work more
efficiently with humans, you have practiced human factors.
Ergonomics (or human factors) is the scientific
discipline concerned with the understanding of
interactions among humans and other elements of a
system, and the profession that applies theory, principles,
data and methods to design in order to optimize human
well-being and overall system performance.
The word ergonomics comes from the Greek word “ergon”
which means work and “nomos” which means laws. It’s
essentially the “laws of work” or “science of work”.
Disciplines
o Anthropometry
o Biomechanics
o Mechanical engineering
o Industrial engineering
o Industrial design
o Information design
o Kinesiology
o Physiology
o Psychology
 HUMAN FACTORS
- is to reduce human error, increase productivity, and enhance
safety and comfort with a specific focus on the interaction between
a human and the thing of interest.
- focused on the problem of a single user interacting with a desktop
computer, it has since expanded to cover almost all forms of
information technology design and the long-term effects that
information systems will have on humans.
- draws from many different disciplines, including computer science,
psychology, graphic design, anthropology, system engineering,
sociology, linguistics and more.

HCI EXAMPLES:

Basics of Interaction Design 1

Interaction Design has its origins in web and graphic design,
Common Interaction Design Methodology
Goal-Driven Design
-popularized by Alan Cooper. He defined goal-driven design as design
that holds problem solving as a highest priority. In other words, goal-
driven design focuses first on what capabilities were available on the
technology side of things.
1. Design first; program second. In other words, goal-driven
design begins with considerations for how users interact (and how
things look), rather than beginning with technical considerations.
2. Separate responsibility for design from responsibility for
programming. This refers to the necessity of having an
interaction designer who can champion the end-user, without
worrying about the technical constraints. A designer should be
able to trust his or her developer to handle the technical aspects;
in fact, Cooper suggests that to do otherwise places the designer
in a conflict of interest.

3. Designers are responsible for product quality and user

satisfaction. Though stakeholders or clients will have their own
objectives, the interaction designer has a responsibility to the
person on the other side of the screen.

4. Personas. Alan emphasized the need to connect personas back

to the product, that is, where will this person use this? Who are
they? What do they want to accomplish?

5. Work in teams of two. Interaction designers should never work

solo. Collaboration with others, which Cooper calls “design
communicators”, is key. The design communicator Alan
envisioned was typically a copywriter intended to provide
marketing copy for products. Today that has expanded to include
a project manager, content strategist, information architect, and
many others.
Usability
It is concerned with making systems easy to learn and use.
Usability may feel like a vague term, but at its heart, designers are simply
asked, “Can someone easily use this?”. 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

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, video game etc. How many are actually
easy, effortless, and enjoyable to use?
The Five Dimensions
Gillian Crampton Smith, an academic in interaction design,
introduced the concept of four dimensions of an “interaction design
language.” In other words, these dimensions make up the interactions
themselves, and as a result, they make up the communication between a
user and the screen. The four original dimensions are words, visual
representations, physical objects or space, and time. More recently, Kevin
Silver, an interaction designer, has added a fifth dimension, behavior.
● 1D: words should be simple to understand, and written in such a
way that they communicate information easily to the end user.
● 2D: visual representations are all graphics or images,
essentially everything that is not text. They should be in
moderation and not overwhelm.
● 3D: physical objects or space refers to the physical hardware,
whether it is a mouse and keyboard, or a mobile device a user
interacts.
● 4D: time is the length that the user spends interacting with the
first three dimensions. It includes the ways in which the user might
measure progress, as well as sound and animation.
● 5D: behavior was added by Kevin Silver. It is the emotions and
reactions that the user has when interacting with the system.

Using these five dimensions, an interaction designer can pay

attention to the very experience the user has when communicating and
connecting with a system.
Cognitive Psychology
Cognitive psychology is the study of how the mind works, and
what mental processes take place there. According to the American
Psychological Association, these processes include “attention, language
use, memory, perception, problem solving, creativity, and thinking.”
While psychology is an immensely broad field, a few key elements
of cognitive psychology are particularly valued, and in fact may have
helped form the field of interaction design. Don Norman named a few:
● Mental models are the images in a user’s mind that inform their
expectation of a certain interaction or system. By learning the
user’s mental model, interaction designers can create systems
that feel intuitive.
● Interface metaphors make use of known actions to lead users to
new actions. For example, the trash icon on most computers
resembles a physical trash can, in order to alert a user to the
expected action
.
Affordances are things that are not only designed to do
something, but are designed to look like they are designed to do
something. A button that looks like a physical object you can push, for
example, is an affordance designed so that someone unfamiliar with the
button will still understand how to interact with it.

UI Design
User interface (UI) design is what process designers use to build
interfaces in software or computerized devices, focusing on looks or style.
Designers aim to create interfaces which users find easy to use and
pleasurable. UI design refers to graphical user interfaces and other forms
—e.g., voice-controlled interfaces.