Personal computing launched with the IBM PC. But popular computing - computing for the masses - launched with the modern WIMP (windows, icons, mouse, pointer) interface, which made computers usable by ordinary people. As popular computing has grown, the role of HCI (human-computer interaction) has increased. Most software today is interactive, and code related to the interface is more than half of all code. HCI also has a key role in application design. In a consumer market, a product's success depends on each user's experience with it. Unfortunately, great engineering on the back end will be undone by a poor interface, and a good UI can carry a product in spite of weaknesses inside.
More importantly, however, it's not a good idea to separate "the interface" from the rest of the product, since the customer sees the product as one system. Designing "from the interface in" is the state of the art today. So HCI has expanded to encompass "user-centered design," which includes everything from needs analysis, concept development, prototyping, and design evolution to support and field evaluation after the product ships. That's not to say that HCI swallows up all of software engineering. But the methods of user-centered design - contextual inquiry, ethnography, qualitative and quantitative evaluation of user behavior - are quite different from those for the rest of computer engineering. So it's important to have someone with those skills involved in all phases of a product's development.
In spite of their unfamiliar content and methods, HCI courses are strongly in demand in university programs and should be part of the core curriculum. At a recent industry advisory board meeting for U.C. Berkeley's computer science division, HCI was unanimously cited as the most important priority for future research and teaching by our industry experts. Ease of use remains a barrier to growth and success in IT even in today's business markets. And it is surely the major challenge for emerging markets such as smart phones, home media appliances, medical devices, and automotive interfaces.
Before we explore the future of HCI, it's important to review some key lessons from the past. Many core ideas in HCI trace back to Vannevar Bush's "memex" paper ("As We May Think," Atlantic Monthly, July 1945), J. C. R. Licklider's vision of networked IT as DARPA director in the 1960s, and Douglas Engelbart's amazing NLS (online system) demonstration at the Fall Joint Computer Conference in San Francisco in December 1968. While acknowledging these pioneers, we're going to jump straight to the "modern era" of HCI, which led directly to popular computing. The incubator for this was, not surprisingly, Xerox PARC (Palo Alto Research Center).
In 1970, Alan Kay arrived at the just-formed Xerox PARC inspired by his vision of a laptop computer for ordinary users. Back then, the personal computer was a dream shared by a few wild souls. There were a handful of minicomputers (e.g., the PDP11 appeared in 1970), but those machines were for engineers and scientists, of course. Kay and other PARC engineers (including Butler Lampson and Chuck Thacker) started developing computers with the extraordinary idea of giving them to ordinary people. Kay was also working on Smalltalk (a language for kids), leading to Smalltalk-72 soon after. His laptop-style Dynabook was infeasible in the 1970s, but the group did produce the Xerox Alto desktop computer in 1973. The Alto had a mouse, Ethernet, and an overlapping window display. It was a technical marvel, but not necessarily easy to use. There was mouse functionality, but it was mostly a "text-oriented" machine. It also lacked a killer app (lesson 1). While the Alto was developed for ordinary users, it was not clear at the time what that market really looked like (lesson 2). Most Altos appear to have been sold or given away to engineering labs.
In 1976 Don Massaro from Xerox's office products division pushed ahead a personal computer concept for office environments called the Star. A separate development division was created for the Star and headed by David Liddle. It worked closely with PARC, but was not part of PARC. The Star is rightfully cited as the first "modern" WIMP computer. It's impossible to look at screenshots, or to actually use a machine (which I was able to do at a retrospective event at Interval Research) without being struck by how good it is compared with what came after. Liddle quipped that Star was "a huge improvement over its successors." It's not just its execution of the WIMP interface and desktop metaphor, but its remarkably clean and consistent "object-orientedness" - right-button menus, controls, and embeddable objects today are a rather clumsy echo of Star's design.
The most remarkable aspect of Star, however, is the process its designers used to develop it, which has been widely imitated and which made good interface design a reproducible process. Liddle's first step was to review existing development processes with the help of PARC researchers and produce a best-practices document that Star would follow. It included task analysis, scenario development, rapid prototyping, and users' conceptual models. Much of the design evolution happened before any code was written. Code development itself consisted of many small steps with frequent user testing. It was a textbook example (and it's in Terry Winograd's 1996 landmark textbook, Bringing Design to Software) of user-centered design.
Even the Alto had followed a much more classical design process. It was enough to put the Alto in the right ballpark, but that machine feels like it's from a completely different era. The Star knew what it was trying to be, and included a good suite of office software. For reasons that almost surely had nothing to do with its interface or application design, it failed in the marketplace. Its close reincarnation in the Macintosh was a huge success. So (lesson 3) good mass-market design requires a user-centered design process. And it often involves real social scientists or usability experts, as well as engineers.
The Star design was so good that HCI researchers are regularly the brunt of "Star backlash." It goes something like this: "HCI hasn't produced major innovations in the last 20 years; the WIMP interface today is almost identical to what it was in the 1980s." In many of the "technical arts," that would be a compliment. In computing, we have 20-year-old artifacts in museums and call them "dinosaurs." But it's wrong to apply that thinking to HCI. Humans are the key element in human-computer interaction. As a species, people don't evolve that fast, and we often take years to learn things well. We have interface conventions in automobiles as well (clockwise means turn right, you drive on the right, and so will I). It's just not good to "innovate" with those. For the time being, we can't "reflash" people with an upgrade, so let's not go there. The amazing thing is (lesson 4), when you execute the human-centered design process well (in a real usage context, as the Star designers did), you get a design that endures for decades. Multiple generations can learn it and become computer-empowered without worrying about losing that skill later.
For the same reason, when you design something new, it's much better to copy every well-known convention you can find than to make up a new one. As Picasso said, "Good artists borrow from the work of others, great artists steal." So (lesson 5) good HCI design is evolutionary rather than revolutionary.
Finally, there is an overall lesson (number 6) to take away from these two systems. The modern popular computer required two kinds of innovation: free-wheeling, vision-driven engineering, often technology-centered but ideally informed by high-level principles of human behavior (Alto); and careful, context-driven, human-centered, design evolution (Star). That's a critical point. You need truly creative design and engineering to conceive and execute a radically new idea, but innovation also requires validation. In HCI, validation means that it works well with real users. For that to happen, human-centered design evolution must happen. Innovation in the product is a nice virtue, but it's an option in terms of marketability. Usability is not.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Human Computer Interaction Group
The Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Group of the University of Patras is active since 1994. It is currently hosted by the Computer Systems Lab of the ECE Department, while there are plans for moving in a new building of the Department by the end of this year.
The group is made of over 15 researchers and technical staff. The group infrastructure comprises a usability laboratory, portable devices development and testing methods and tools, multimedia and software development tools. A number of tools have been developed and are made available for supporting collaborative activities and conducting usability studies.
The areas of activity of the group are: Software usability and interactive systems evaluation, Internet and agent-based applications, Collaborative learning and work, Intelligent interfaces and operator support systems, Data visualisation, Knowledge discovery in data, Context-aware computing and Usability of mobile devices. Application fields are education, environmental and various industrial areas.
The group is made of over 15 researchers and technical staff. The group infrastructure comprises a usability laboratory, portable devices development and testing methods and tools, multimedia and software development tools. A number of tools have been developed and are made available for supporting collaborative activities and conducting usability studies.
The areas of activity of the group are: Software usability and interactive systems evaluation, Internet and agent-based applications, Collaborative learning and work, Intelligent interfaces and operator support systems, Data visualisation, Knowledge discovery in data, Context-aware computing and Usability of mobile devices. Application fields are education, environmental and various industrial areas.
Computer Vision Based Human Computer Interaction
With the development of information technology in our society, we can expect that computer systems to a larger extent will be embedded into our environment. These environments will impose needs for new types of human-computer-interaction, with interfaces that are natural and easy to use. In particular, the ability to interact with computerized equipment without need for special external equipment is attractive.
Today, the keyboard, the mouse and the remote control are used as the main interfaces for transferring information and commands to computerized equipment. In some applications involving three-dimensional information, such as visualization, computer games and control of robots, other interfaces based on trackballs, joysticks and datagloves are being used. In our daily life, however, we humans use our vision and hearing as main sources of information about our environment. Therefore, one may ask to what extent it would be possible to develop computerized equipment able to communicate with humans in a similar way, by understanding visual and auditive input.
The purpose of this project is to develop new perceptual interfaces for human-computer-interaction based on visual input captured by computer vision systems, and to investigate how such interfaces can complement or replace traditional interfaces based on keyboards, mouses, remote controls, data gloves or speech. Examples of applications of hand gestures analysis include:
* Control of consumer electronics
* Interaction with visualization systems
* Control of mechanical systems
* Computer games
Main advantages of using visual input in this context are that visual information makes it possible to communicate with computerized equipment at a distance, without need for physical contact with the equipment to be controlled. Compared to speech commands, hand gestures are advantageous in noisy environments, in situations where speech commands would be disturbing, as well as for communicating quantitative information and spatial relationships. The idea is that the user should be able to control equipment in his environment as he is, and without need for specialized external equipment, such as a remote control,
The project combines CVAPs expertise in computer vision with CIDs experience in designing and evaluating of new human-machine interfaces. Initially, the focus is on developing algorithms for recognizing hand gestures and to build prototype systems that make it possible to test perceptual interfaces in practical applications. An important component of the work is to perform continuous user studies in close connection with the development work.
It may be worth emphasizing that that the aim is not to recognize the kind of expressive gestures that are tightly coupled to our speech, or sign languages aimed at inter-human communication. The goal is to explore hand gestures suitable for various control tasks in human-machine interaction. Multi-modal interfaces including hand gestures, face and gaze tracking and speech recognition will also be considered.
Detailed information
A prototype system for computer vision based human computer interaction -- Includes a demonstration of how a user can control different types of consumer electronics using hand gestures.
Camera mouse control -- A simple demonstration of how it the cursor on a computer screen can be controlled by hand motions, and how hand gestures can be used for interacting with programs via a cursor controlled by hand gestures.
Simultaneous hand tracking and hand posture recognition -- Includes a demonstration where the estimated hand motions and the recognized hand postures control the motion of drawing device. (In the video clip below, the type of hand posture controls the type of action that is performed, while the estimated hand motion controls the motion of the pencil, the cursor or the drawing.)
The 3-D hand mouse -- A demonstration of how it is possible to measure the three-dimensional motion (translations and rotations) of a human hand, and to use such motion estimates to control the three-dimensional motion of other computerized devices. (In the video clip below, the cube moves according to the estimated motion of the hand.)
Today, the keyboard, the mouse and the remote control are used as the main interfaces for transferring information and commands to computerized equipment. In some applications involving three-dimensional information, such as visualization, computer games and control of robots, other interfaces based on trackballs, joysticks and datagloves are being used. In our daily life, however, we humans use our vision and hearing as main sources of information about our environment. Therefore, one may ask to what extent it would be possible to develop computerized equipment able to communicate with humans in a similar way, by understanding visual and auditive input.
The purpose of this project is to develop new perceptual interfaces for human-computer-interaction based on visual input captured by computer vision systems, and to investigate how such interfaces can complement or replace traditional interfaces based on keyboards, mouses, remote controls, data gloves or speech. Examples of applications of hand gestures analysis include:
* Control of consumer electronics
* Interaction with visualization systems
* Control of mechanical systems
* Computer games
Main advantages of using visual input in this context are that visual information makes it possible to communicate with computerized equipment at a distance, without need for physical contact with the equipment to be controlled. Compared to speech commands, hand gestures are advantageous in noisy environments, in situations where speech commands would be disturbing, as well as for communicating quantitative information and spatial relationships. The idea is that the user should be able to control equipment in his environment as he is, and without need for specialized external equipment, such as a remote control,
The project combines CVAPs expertise in computer vision with CIDs experience in designing and evaluating of new human-machine interfaces. Initially, the focus is on developing algorithms for recognizing hand gestures and to build prototype systems that make it possible to test perceptual interfaces in practical applications. An important component of the work is to perform continuous user studies in close connection with the development work.
It may be worth emphasizing that that the aim is not to recognize the kind of expressive gestures that are tightly coupled to our speech, or sign languages aimed at inter-human communication. The goal is to explore hand gestures suitable for various control tasks in human-machine interaction. Multi-modal interfaces including hand gestures, face and gaze tracking and speech recognition will also be considered.
Detailed information
A prototype system for computer vision based human computer interaction -- Includes a demonstration of how a user can control different types of consumer electronics using hand gestures.
Camera mouse control -- A simple demonstration of how it the cursor on a computer screen can be controlled by hand motions, and how hand gestures can be used for interacting with programs via a cursor controlled by hand gestures.
Simultaneous hand tracking and hand posture recognition -- Includes a demonstration where the estimated hand motions and the recognized hand postures control the motion of drawing device. (In the video clip below, the type of hand posture controls the type of action that is performed, while the estimated hand motion controls the motion of the pencil, the cursor or the drawing.)
The 3-D hand mouse -- A demonstration of how it is possible to measure the three-dimensional motion (translations and rotations) of a human hand, and to use such motion estimates to control the three-dimensional motion of other computerized devices. (In the video clip below, the cube moves according to the estimated motion of the hand.)
Human Computer Interaction Certificate Program-Programs of Study
With hardware processing power increasing and software development techniques improving, the user interface is fast becoming the key bottleneck in developing computer products that meet market needs.
When interface design does not reflect the needs of the intended users, products fail in the marketplace and enormous sums of money are spent on documentation, help lines, and training courses to overcome the difficulties of running programs. Much of this difficulty can be avoided with proper attention to both the physical and psychological constraints of the user.
Extending the expertise of its internationally recognized Human Factors program, Tufts has designed this certificate program to train the next generation of computer programmers for tomorrow's complex programming challenges. Students must complete four courses, including those in engineering psychology, interface design, and computer programming. Students interested in earning a graduate degree can often apply these certificate courses toward a master's degree in computer science or human factors.
Who Should Apply?
The program is open to individuals with a bachelor's degree and is especially useful for computer programmers, web designers, software engineers, human factors professionals, user interface designers, and others who wish to develop or enhance their user interface design and implementation skills.
Program of Study
The certificate requires four courses.
1. Two foundation courses:
(Students may substitute other Tufts graduate courses, subject to the approval of the certificate advisor.)
This certificate is offered in collaboration with the Tufts Department of Psychology, the School of Engineering, and the Boston School of Occupational Therapy at Tufts.
Tuition:
Certificate students pay a course rate for each required certificate course of $2,695 per course (2006-2007).
When interface design does not reflect the needs of the intended users, products fail in the marketplace and enormous sums of money are spent on documentation, help lines, and training courses to overcome the difficulties of running programs. Much of this difficulty can be avoided with proper attention to both the physical and psychological constraints of the user.
Extending the expertise of its internationally recognized Human Factors program, Tufts has designed this certificate program to train the next generation of computer programmers for tomorrow's complex programming challenges. Students must complete four courses, including those in engineering psychology, interface design, and computer programming. Students interested in earning a graduate degree can often apply these certificate courses toward a master's degree in computer science or human factors.
Who Should Apply?
The program is open to individuals with a bachelor's degree and is especially useful for computer programmers, web designers, software engineers, human factors professionals, user interface designers, and others who wish to develop or enhance their user interface design and implementation skills.
Program of Study
The certificate requires four courses.
1. Two foundation courses:
- COMP 171 Human-Computer Interaction
- PSY 53/ENP 61 Engineering Psychology
- COMP 106 Object Oriented Programming for GUIs
- ENP 161 Human Factors in Product Design
- ENP 162 Man-Machine System Design
- ENP 166 Applied Design of Software User Interface
- PSY 130 Advanced Engineering Psychology
- COMP 20 Multimedia Programming
- COMP 175 Computer Graphics
- EE 120 Computer Animation for Technical Communications
- OTS 105 Assistive Technology
(Students may substitute other Tufts graduate courses, subject to the approval of the certificate advisor.)
This certificate is offered in collaboration with the Tufts Department of Psychology, the School of Engineering, and the Boston School of Occupational Therapy at Tufts.
Tuition:
Certificate students pay a course rate for each required certificate course of $2,695 per course (2006-2007).
Computer Human Interaction Special Interest Group -CHISIG
Computer-Human Interaction is about people, computers and how they impact on each other. This site is the Australian reference point for people interested in designing interactions between people and devices.
If you have an interest in computer systems and how to design them to give users a quality experience, we encourage you to join CHISIG.
Membership
CHISIG welcomes new individual and corporate members from all disciplines and any country. Membership is open to those interested in improving the design of computer technology for effective human use.
Why become a member of CHISIG?
Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is becoming the next "boom" phase in information technology. CHISIG is made up of people who recognise this and want to be at the forefront of HCI advances.
As a result of computer technology pervading household and industrial life, the field of HCI is expanding to cater to a growing community of users who have a wide range of backgrounds, skills and training.
By joining CHISIG you and/or your company will:
Becoming an individual CHISIG member demonstrates your commitment to enhancing and maintaining your knowledge of the latest Human-Computer Interaction tools and techniques. Corporate CHISIG members place on display their commitment to useful and usable systems and technologies.
CHISIG's major conference this year, OZCHI2006 - "design: activities, artefacts and environments", will be held in Sydney, NSW, Australia between 20-24 November, 2006. The Call For Partication was released on 1 May. The CFP and more information can be found by visiting www.ozchi.org
OZCHI is Australia's leading forum for finding out about the latest technology and methods concerning human-computer interaction.
If you have an interest in computer systems and how to design them to give users a quality experience, we encourage you to join CHISIG.
Membership
CHISIG welcomes new individual and corporate members from all disciplines and any country. Membership is open to those interested in improving the design of computer technology for effective human use.
Why become a member of CHISIG?
Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is becoming the next "boom" phase in information technology. CHISIG is made up of people who recognise this and want to be at the forefront of HCI advances.
As a result of computer technology pervading household and industrial life, the field of HCI is expanding to cater to a growing community of users who have a wide range of backgrounds, skills and training.
By joining CHISIG you and/or your company will:
- have contacts with HCI professionals in various fields
- be informed of career opportunities in HCI
- have links to HCI students
- be informed of upcoming conferences and events
- be a part of the growing HCI community
Becoming an individual CHISIG member demonstrates your commitment to enhancing and maintaining your knowledge of the latest Human-Computer Interaction tools and techniques. Corporate CHISIG members place on display their commitment to useful and usable systems and technologies.
CHISIG's major conference this year, OZCHI2006 - "design: activities, artefacts and environments", will be held in Sydney, NSW, Australia between 20-24 November, 2006. The Call For Partication was released on 1 May. The CFP and more information can be found by visiting www.ozchi.org
OZCHI is Australia's leading forum for finding out about the latest technology and methods concerning human-computer interaction.
Certificate in Human Computer Interaction
The dominance of the desktop computer is fading. Laptop computers, personal digital assistants, digital music players, and intelligent cell phones are the new technologies.
The emerging field of human computer interaction is the study of the relationship between humans and increasingly powerful, yet portable computers. The integration of technology into every aspect of society demands professionals with information technology skills that are augmented by an understanding of the human user.
Integrating usefulness and usability while minimizing intrusiveness demands novel solutions founded on an in-depth understanding of the complex interactions between humans and computers.
The curriculum
Core courses
Management Information Systems 655 (Organizational and Social Implications of Human Computer Interaction)
Human Computer Interaction 521/Psychology 521 (Cognitive Psychology of Human Computer Interaction)
Industrial Engineering 574X (Interaction Methods of Emerging Technologies) or Human Computer Interaction 575X (Computational Perception)
One elective course
Suggested electives
Cpr E/I E/M E 557 (Computer Graphics and Geometric Modeling)
Com S 657 (Advanced Topics in Computer Graphics)
F Lng/M E 584X (Technology, Globalization and Culture)
I E 572 (Design and Evaluation of the Human Computer Interaction)
I E 576 (Human Factors in Product Design)
The emerging field of human computer interaction is the study of the relationship between humans and increasingly powerful, yet portable computers. The integration of technology into every aspect of society demands professionals with information technology skills that are augmented by an understanding of the human user.
Integrating usefulness and usability while minimizing intrusiveness demands novel solutions founded on an in-depth understanding of the complex interactions between humans and computers.
The curriculum
- provides an understanding of emerging human computer interface technologies,
- explores human cognition, behavioral methods, and usability techniques,
- enhances the ability to articulate societal and ethical issues related to human interaction with computers, and
- highlights the latest human computer interaction research in multiple disciplines.
Core courses
Management Information Systems 655 (Organizational and Social Implications of Human Computer Interaction)
Human Computer Interaction 521/Psychology 521 (Cognitive Psychology of Human Computer Interaction)
Industrial Engineering 574X (Interaction Methods of Emerging Technologies) or Human Computer Interaction 575X (Computational Perception)
One elective course
Suggested electives
Cpr E/I E/M E 557 (Computer Graphics and Geometric Modeling)
Com S 657 (Advanced Topics in Computer Graphics)
F Lng/M E 584X (Technology, Globalization and Culture)
I E 572 (Design and Evaluation of the Human Computer Interaction)
I E 576 (Human Factors in Product Design)
Human Computer Interaction
The term human-computer interaction (HCI) was adopted in the mid-1980s as a means of describing the field of user interface system. This term has much broader scope than just the design of the interface and is concerned with all those aspects that relate to the interaction between users and computers. The technological advancements in silicon chip have changed the world so that many people use or come in contact with computers. These changes in the technology have put forth two important challenges to HCI designers.
The first of these is that how to keep abreast of changes in the technology. The second is that how to ensure that their designs offer good HCI as well as harnessing the potential functionality of the new technology. The study of HCI involves multiple disciplines. The disciplines that contribute to HCI are Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Linguistics, Philosophy, Sociology, Cognitive Psychology, Ergonomics & human factor, Engineering etc. The goal of HCI is to develop or improve the safety, utility, effectiveness, efficiency, and usability of systems that include computers and to ensure that they integrate well in the organizational settings in which they are used. The difficult part is knowing how best to achieve this goal. Those involved in HCI attempt this from a multidisciplinary perspective.
The main problem as it applies to our domain, is concerned that of designing and technically realizing interfaces that make human-computer interaction easier and more effective. Human-Computer Interaction perspective attempts to solve following problems:
* How can interaction be made clearer and more efficient?
* How can interfaces offer better support for their users' tasks, plans and goals?
* How can information be presented more effectively?
* How can the design and implementation of good interfaces be made easier?
The first of these is that how to keep abreast of changes in the technology. The second is that how to ensure that their designs offer good HCI as well as harnessing the potential functionality of the new technology. The study of HCI involves multiple disciplines. The disciplines that contribute to HCI are Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Linguistics, Philosophy, Sociology, Cognitive Psychology, Ergonomics & human factor, Engineering etc. The goal of HCI is to develop or improve the safety, utility, effectiveness, efficiency, and usability of systems that include computers and to ensure that they integrate well in the organizational settings in which they are used. The difficult part is knowing how best to achieve this goal. Those involved in HCI attempt this from a multidisciplinary perspective.
The main problem as it applies to our domain, is concerned that of designing and technically realizing interfaces that make human-computer interaction easier and more effective. Human-Computer Interaction perspective attempts to solve following problems:
* How can interaction be made clearer and more efficient?
* How can interfaces offer better support for their users' tasks, plans and goals?
* How can information be presented more effectively?
* How can the design and implementation of good interfaces be made easier?
Human Computer Interaction and Your Site
Ever wondered what makes some Websites easier to use than others, or why some people seem to master new navigation systems quickly while others struggle to learn? Do you know why users get lost in electronic space or find it difficult to communicate with others through the medium of technology? These questions are just some of the driving forces behind research in the developing field of Human Computer Interaction.
Human Computer Interaction is a term that you may or may not have heard. So let's explore what it is, and what role it can play in your Website development.
A Definition
Human Computer Interaction, or HCI, is the study, planning, and design of what happens when you and a computer work together. As its name implies, HCI consists of three parts: the user, the computer itself, and the ways they work together.
The User
When we talk about HCI, we don't necessarily imagine a single user with a desktop computer. By "user", we may mean an individual user, a group of users working together, or maybe even a series of users in an organisation, each involved with some part of the job or development. The user is whoever is trying to get the job done using the technology. An appreciation of the way people's sensory systems (sight, hearing, touch) relay information is vital to designing a first-class product. For example, display layouts should accommodate the fact that people can be sidetracked by the smallest movement in the outer (peripheral) part of their visual fields, so only important areas should be specified by moving or blinking visuals. And of course, people like designs that grab their attention. Designers must decide how to make products attractive without distracting users from their tasks.
The Computer
When we talk about the computer, we're referring to any technology ranging from desktop computers, to large scale computer systems -- even a process control system or an embedded system could be classed as the computer. For example, if we were discussing the design of a Website, then the Website itself would be referred to as "the computer".
The 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 Website, you need to apply what you know about humans and computers, and consult with likely users throughout the design process. You need to find a reasonable balance between what can be done within the schedule and budget, and what would be ideal for your users.
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:
1. understand the factors that determine how people use technology
2. develop tools and techniques to enable building suitable systems
3. achieve efficient, effective, and safe interaction
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.
The same goals can be applied to Website development. Websites should be usable and safe, as well as functional, so that users can perform the task at hand without any obvious problems or usability errors.
Basic Principles of HCI
1. Requirements Analysis
* Establish the goals for the Website from the standpoint of the user and the business.
* Agree on the users' needs and aim for usability requirements.
* Appraise existing versions of the Website (if any).
* Carry out an analysis of the competition.
* Complete discussions with potential users and questionnaires.
2. Conceptual Proposal
* Outline site design and architecture at an abstract level.
* Perform a task analysis to identify essential features.
3. Prototyping
* Create visual representations (mock ups) or interactive representations (prototypes) of the Website.
* Evaluate usability using a proven method.
* Using the results, create more mock ups or improve the prototypes.
* Repeat this process until the design and usability goals are met.
4. Development
* Create the final product.
* Evaluate functionality through testing, quality assurance, usability testing, and field testing.
* Use the evaluation results to improve the product.
* Repeat this process until the business goals are met.
5. Launch and Housekeeping
* Launch the Website.
* Maintain and tweak with user feedback (housekeeping).
* Use the feedback to create new requirements, and begin major design improvements
(system iteration).
The Importance of HCI in Website Development
The importance of HCI in the future of Website development is not to be taken lightly. It has been shown that a large percentage of the design and programming effort of projects go into the actual Website design. The interface is a fundamental part of making the site more successful, safe, useful, functional and, in the long run, more pleasurable for the user.
The tools and techniques that have been developed in this field have contributed immensely towards decreasing costs and increasing productivity. Savings have been created through decreased task time, fewer user errors, greatly reduced user disruption, reduced burden on support staff, the elimination of training, and avoidance of changes in maintenance and redesign costs. Studies have shown that, by estimating all the costs associated with usability engineering, the benefits can amount to 5000 times the project's cost. HCI is a Web imperative now, and it'll continue to be so in future.
Human Computer Interaction is a term that you may or may not have heard. So let's explore what it is, and what role it can play in your Website development.
A Definition
Human Computer Interaction, or HCI, is the study, planning, and design of what happens when you and a computer work together. As its name implies, HCI consists of three parts: the user, the computer itself, and the ways they work together.
The User
When we talk about HCI, we don't necessarily imagine a single user with a desktop computer. By "user", we may mean an individual user, a group of users working together, or maybe even a series of users in an organisation, each involved with some part of the job or development. The user is whoever is trying to get the job done using the technology. An appreciation of the way people's sensory systems (sight, hearing, touch) relay information is vital to designing a first-class product. For example, display layouts should accommodate the fact that people can be sidetracked by the smallest movement in the outer (peripheral) part of their visual fields, so only important areas should be specified by moving or blinking visuals. And of course, people like designs that grab their attention. Designers must decide how to make products attractive without distracting users from their tasks.
The Computer
When we talk about the computer, we're referring to any technology ranging from desktop computers, to large scale computer systems -- even a process control system or an embedded system could be classed as the computer. For example, if we were discussing the design of a Website, then the Website itself would be referred to as "the computer".
The 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 Website, you need to apply what you know about humans and computers, and consult with likely users throughout the design process. You need to find a reasonable balance between what can be done within the schedule and budget, and what would be ideal for your users.
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:
1. understand the factors that determine how people use technology
2. develop tools and techniques to enable building suitable systems
3. achieve efficient, effective, and safe interaction
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.
The same goals can be applied to Website development. Websites should be usable and safe, as well as functional, so that users can perform the task at hand without any obvious problems or usability errors.
Basic Principles of HCI
1. Requirements Analysis
* Establish the goals for the Website from the standpoint of the user and the business.
* Agree on the users' needs and aim for usability requirements.
* Appraise existing versions of the Website (if any).
* Carry out an analysis of the competition.
* Complete discussions with potential users and questionnaires.
2. Conceptual Proposal
* Outline site design and architecture at an abstract level.
* Perform a task analysis to identify essential features.
3. Prototyping
* Create visual representations (mock ups) or interactive representations (prototypes) of the Website.
* Evaluate usability using a proven method.
* Using the results, create more mock ups or improve the prototypes.
* Repeat this process until the design and usability goals are met.
4. Development
* Create the final product.
* Evaluate functionality through testing, quality assurance, usability testing, and field testing.
* Use the evaluation results to improve the product.
* Repeat this process until the business goals are met.
5. Launch and Housekeeping
* Launch the Website.
* Maintain and tweak with user feedback (housekeeping).
* Use the feedback to create new requirements, and begin major design improvements
(system iteration).
The Importance of HCI in Website Development
The importance of HCI in the future of Website development is not to be taken lightly. It has been shown that a large percentage of the design and programming effort of projects go into the actual Website design. The interface is a fundamental part of making the site more successful, safe, useful, functional and, in the long run, more pleasurable for the user.
The tools and techniques that have been developed in this field have contributed immensely towards decreasing costs and increasing productivity. Savings have been created through decreased task time, fewer user errors, greatly reduced user disruption, reduced burden on support staff, the elimination of training, and avoidance of changes in maintenance and redesign costs. Studies have shown that, by estimating all the costs associated with usability engineering, the benefits can amount to 5000 times the project's cost. HCI is a Web imperative now, and it'll continue to be so in future.
Human Computer Interaction Design
Human-Computer Interaction Design (HCID) is the branch of informatics that studies and supports the design, development, and implementation of humanly usable and socially acceptable information technologies.
The goal of the field is to shape new media and tools that will support human use, augment human learning, enhance communication and lead to more acceptable technological developments at the individual and the social levels.
Research into HCID draws extensively on mainstream informatics concerns with cognition, communication, representation, and computation. HCID professionals seek to identify the nature and parameters of human information processing at the interface, to design forms of representation that support human interpretation and use of information, to reliably and validly test new technologies for usability and acceptability, and to determine how information technologies change working practices and social activities.
Regular job postings for HCID personnel express a desire for professionals with suitable scientific training in design and evaluation, and increasingly, applied social scientists with technological skills are finding employment in the software industry as HCI professionals.
At Indiana University, the HCID program draws faculty from across campus to provide the appropriate blend of multi-disciplinary expertise required to study this new discipline.
The goal of the field is to shape new media and tools that will support human use, augment human learning, enhance communication and lead to more acceptable technological developments at the individual and the social levels.
Research into HCID draws extensively on mainstream informatics concerns with cognition, communication, representation, and computation. HCID professionals seek to identify the nature and parameters of human information processing at the interface, to design forms of representation that support human interpretation and use of information, to reliably and validly test new technologies for usability and acceptability, and to determine how information technologies change working practices and social activities.
Regular job postings for HCID personnel express a desire for professionals with suitable scientific training in design and evaluation, and increasingly, applied social scientists with technological skills are finding employment in the software industry as HCI professionals.
At Indiana University, the HCID program draws faculty from across campus to provide the appropriate blend of multi-disciplinary expertise required to study this new discipline.
OCLC Human Computer Interaction
Welcome to the OCLC human-computer interaction (HCI) Web site! In the spirit of HCI and usability evaluations, this is your site. If you encounter difficulties using the site, finding the information you want, or have suggestions for improvement, please let us know!
Our goal is to be a source of interaction, debate, and information about how people interact with computers in the library environment.
HCI is the study of how people interact with computers. One of its goals is the design of computer software that is easy to use and learn. At OCLC, this means making products and services easier to use for library staff and patrons.
Before 1990, the OCLC Office of Research conducted studies of HCI in libraries. Dr. Charles Hildreth was one of the first of OCLC's research staff to study HCI in the context of library systems. In 1990, the OCLC HCI team was formed to foster company-wide participation in user studies and to promote application of the results to system design. One of the team's first accomplishments was the establishment of a usability lab (Ulab). In the Ulab, OCLC staff can observe patrons and library staff interacting with OCLC products and services. Since 1990, the team has expanded its services to include prototyping of library system interfaces, development of rapid usability evaluation techniques, and consultation with product teams on how to increase the ease-of-use of their products.
Our goal is to be a source of interaction, debate, and information about how people interact with computers in the library environment.
HCI is the study of how people interact with computers. One of its goals is the design of computer software that is easy to use and learn. At OCLC, this means making products and services easier to use for library staff and patrons.
Before 1990, the OCLC Office of Research conducted studies of HCI in libraries. Dr. Charles Hildreth was one of the first of OCLC's research staff to study HCI in the context of library systems. In 1990, the OCLC HCI team was formed to foster company-wide participation in user studies and to promote application of the results to system design. One of the team's first accomplishments was the establishment of a usability lab (Ulab). In the Ulab, OCLC staff can observe patrons and library staff interacting with OCLC products and services. Since 1990, the team has expanded its services to include prototyping of library system interfaces, development of rapid usability evaluation techniques, and consultation with product teams on how to increase the ease-of-use of their products.
The Human Computer Interaction Graduate Program
As the use of computers becomes increasingly central, the study of Human Computer Interaction will emerge as one of the most dynamic and important areas of research. Interdisciplinary in the extreme, this emerging field will have an impact on nearly every area of human endeavor. The Human Computer Interaction graduate major reflects a broad recognition both in academia and industry that the need exists to specifically train researchers in this burgeoning area, to meet the challenges faced by this rapidly evolving area of technological progress.
The women and men who contribute to this new paradigm will be shaping the future.
Purpose
The study of the relationship between humans and increasingly powerful, portable, interconnected and ubiquitous computers is becoming one of the most dynamic and significant fields of technical investigation. The Interdepartmental Graduate Major in Human Computer Interaction is an interdisciplinary training program created to provide advanced education and training while fostering research excellence in Human Computer Interaction at Iowa State University.
HCI Degrees:
a) the three courses required for the master's program
b) a master's degree and
c) a portfolio demonstrating the potential for research at the boundaries of thehuman
computer interface.
HCI Certificate:
The Human Computer Interaction Graduate Program would like to announce the addition of an online Graduate Certificate in Human Computer Interaction. Through distance learning, students who are working in business and industry are able to take courses to learn more about Human Computer Interaction, furthering their education without having to travel to the Iowa State University campus to study or committing to a full graduate program. The certificate can be earned in one year if two courses per semester are taken, or in two years if a student chooses to take one course each semester.
The Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Initiative
Driven by unprecedented technological progress, the study of the relationship between humans and increasingly powerful, portable, interconnected and ubiquitous computers is fast becoming one of the most dynamic and significant fields of technical investigation. Intent on establishing a leadership position in the rapidly changing field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), ISU is making a strategic investment to accelerate research, attract talented students and faculty members and expand the graduate program in this vital area of study.
Interdisciplinary in the extreme, this emerging field is having an impact on nearly every area of human endeavor. With researchers representing departments from every college in the University and related research underway at the Virtual Reality Applications Center and elsewhere, ISU is well positioned to quickly expand its focus and become a leader in HCI research.
The technical research component of the HCI initiative focuses on five areas:
The women and men who contribute to this new paradigm will be shaping the future.
Purpose
The study of the relationship between humans and increasingly powerful, portable, interconnected and ubiquitous computers is becoming one of the most dynamic and significant fields of technical investigation. The Interdepartmental Graduate Major in Human Computer Interaction is an interdisciplinary training program created to provide advanced education and training while fostering research excellence in Human Computer Interaction at Iowa State University.
HCI Degrees:
- M.S. in Human Computer Interaction
- Ph.D. in Human Computer Interaction
a) the three courses required for the master's program
b) a master's degree and
c) a portfolio demonstrating the potential for research at the boundaries of thehuman
computer interface.
HCI Certificate:
The Human Computer Interaction Graduate Program would like to announce the addition of an online Graduate Certificate in Human Computer Interaction. Through distance learning, students who are working in business and industry are able to take courses to learn more about Human Computer Interaction, furthering their education without having to travel to the Iowa State University campus to study or committing to a full graduate program. The certificate can be earned in one year if two courses per semester are taken, or in two years if a student chooses to take one course each semester.
The Human Computer Interaction (HCI) Initiative
Driven by unprecedented technological progress, the study of the relationship between humans and increasingly powerful, portable, interconnected and ubiquitous computers is fast becoming one of the most dynamic and significant fields of technical investigation. Intent on establishing a leadership position in the rapidly changing field of Human Computer Interaction (HCI), ISU is making a strategic investment to accelerate research, attract talented students and faculty members and expand the graduate program in this vital area of study.
Interdisciplinary in the extreme, this emerging field is having an impact on nearly every area of human endeavor. With researchers representing departments from every college in the University and related research underway at the Virtual Reality Applications Center and elsewhere, ISU is well positioned to quickly expand its focus and become a leader in HCI research.
The technical research component of the HCI initiative focuses on five areas:
- Information sensorization - human factors, cognitive models, virtual and augmented reality interfaces, haptics
- Mobile/ubiquitous interfaces - wireless connectivity, integration of remote sensors and participants, group interfaces
- Intelligent agents - network-based software services for individuals, groups and organizations
- Accessibility for non-technical collaborators - technology to facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration
- Enabling infrastructure - software and hardware to facilitate HCI research
Human Computer Interaction Institute
The Human Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) is an interdisciplinary community of students and faculty at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). This community is dedicated to research and education in topics related to computer technology in support of human activity and society. Although the HCII is headquartered within the School of Computer Science, members of the community represent a broad spectrum of the CMU campus including the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Graduate School of Industrial Administration, College of Fine Arts, Carnegie Institute of Technology, Software Engineering Institute, as well as the School of Computer Science. Collaborators and sponsors are from other universities in Pittsburgh and around the world, small startup companies, and multi-national corporations.
The idea for a Human Computer Interaction Institute at CMU can be traced back to 1967, with the founding of the computer science program here. Founders Allen Newell, Herbert A. Simon, and Alan J. Perlis believed that the new discipline of computer science should include the study of phenomena surrounding computers, not just the theory and design of computation devices themselves (Letter to Science, vol. 157, no. 3795, 9/22/67, pp. 1373-1374). In 1985, Bonnie John opened the first user studies laboratories for faculty and student use. Originally built to observe and record individual users of the ZOG system (an early hypermedia system), the labs are now used for training in usability analysis and for a large range of studies in human-computer interaction. In 1993, Bonnie John offered the first CMU course in Human Computer Interaction. Soon after, a committee drawing on faculty across the campus founded the Institute. By 2000, the CMU faculty/staff directory listed over 60 faculty, staff, and post-doctoral students with the HCII.
HCII research and educational programs span a full cycle of knowledge creation. The cycle includes research on how people work, play, and communicate within groups, organizations, and social structures. It includes the design, creation, and evaluation of technologies and tools to support human and social activities. The HCII has a record of evaluating and monitoring the immediate and longer-term usability and social aspects of new technologies and tools. This work informs new technologies and tools. We believe in collaboration. Our research projects range from an individual company working with a small group of students to multi-company consortia seeking multi-national solutions.
Working with internationally known researchers in a variety of disciplines generates novel and exciting projects. We hope you will explore the products of this unique culture and continue to grow our collaborative community.
The idea for a Human Computer Interaction Institute at CMU can be traced back to 1967, with the founding of the computer science program here. Founders Allen Newell, Herbert A. Simon, and Alan J. Perlis believed that the new discipline of computer science should include the study of phenomena surrounding computers, not just the theory and design of computation devices themselves (Letter to Science, vol. 157, no. 3795, 9/22/67, pp. 1373-1374). In 1985, Bonnie John opened the first user studies laboratories for faculty and student use. Originally built to observe and record individual users of the ZOG system (an early hypermedia system), the labs are now used for training in usability analysis and for a large range of studies in human-computer interaction. In 1993, Bonnie John offered the first CMU course in Human Computer Interaction. Soon after, a committee drawing on faculty across the campus founded the Institute. By 2000, the CMU faculty/staff directory listed over 60 faculty, staff, and post-doctoral students with the HCII.
HCII research and educational programs span a full cycle of knowledge creation. The cycle includes research on how people work, play, and communicate within groups, organizations, and social structures. It includes the design, creation, and evaluation of technologies and tools to support human and social activities. The HCII has a record of evaluating and monitoring the immediate and longer-term usability and social aspects of new technologies and tools. This work informs new technologies and tools. We believe in collaboration. Our research projects range from an individual company working with a small group of students to multi-company consortia seeking multi-national solutions.
Working with internationally known researchers in a variety of disciplines generates novel and exciting projects. We hope you will explore the products of this unique culture and continue to grow our collaborative community.
Human computer interaction
Human–computer interaction (HCI) or, alternatively, man-machine interaction (MMI) or computer–human interaction is the study of interaction between people (users) and computers. It is an interdisciplinary subject, relating computer science with many other fields of study and research. Interaction between users and computers occurs at the user interface (or simply interface), which includes both software and hardware, for example, general purpose computer peripherals and large-scale mechanical systems such as aircraft and power plants.
Goals
A basic goal of HCI is to improve the interaction between users and computers by making computers more user-friendly and receptive to the user's needs. Specifically, HCI is concerned with
A long term goal of HCI is to design systems that minimize the barrier between the human's cognitive model of what they want to accomplish and the computer's understanding of the user's task (see CSCW).
Professional practitioners in HCI are usually designers concerned with the practical application of design methodologies to real-world problems. Their work often revolves around designing graphical user interfaces and web interfaces.
Researchers in HCI are interested in developing new design methodologies, experimenting with new hardware devices, prototyping new software systems, exploring new paradigms for interaction, and developing models and theories of interaction.
Terminology
Design methodologies
A number of diverse methodologies outlining techniques for human-computer interaction design have emerged since the rise of the field in the 1980s. Most design methodologies stem from a model for how users, designers, and technical systems interact. Early methodologies, for example, treated users' cognitive processes as predictable and quantifiable and encouraged design practitioners to look to cognitive science results in areas such as memory and attention when designing user interfaces. Modern models tend to focus on a constant feedback and conversation between users, designers, and engineers and push for technical systems to be wrapped around the types of experiences users want to have, rather than wrapping user experience around a completed system.
User-centered design: User-centered design (UCD) is a modern, widely practiced design philosophy rooted in the idea that users must take center-stage in the design of any computer system. Users, designers, and technical practitioners work together to articulate the wants, needs, and limitations of the user and create a system that addresses these elements. Often, user-centered design projects are informed by ethnographic studies of the environments in which users will be interacting with the system.
Goals
A basic goal of HCI is to improve the interaction between users and computers by making computers more user-friendly and receptive to the user's needs. Specifically, HCI is concerned with
- methodologies and processes for designing interfaces (i.e., given a task and a class of users, design the best possible interface within given constraints, optimizing for a desired property such as learnability or efficiency of use
- methods for implementing interfaces (e.g. software toolkits and libraries; efficient algorithms)
- techniques for evaluating and comparing interfaces
- developing new interfaces and interaction techniques
- developing descriptive and predictive models and theories of interaction
A long term goal of HCI is to design systems that minimize the barrier between the human's cognitive model of what they want to accomplish and the computer's understanding of the user's task (see CSCW).
Professional practitioners in HCI are usually designers concerned with the practical application of design methodologies to real-world problems. Their work often revolves around designing graphical user interfaces and web interfaces.
Researchers in HCI are interested in developing new design methodologies, experimenting with new hardware devices, prototyping new software systems, exploring new paradigms for interaction, and developing models and theories of interaction.
Terminology
- HCI vs MMI. MMI has been used to refer to any man-machine interaction, including, but not exclusively computers. The term was used early on in control room design for anything operated on or observed by an operator, e.g. dials, switches, knobs and gauges.
- HCI vs CHI. The acronym CHI (pronounced kai), for computer-human interaction, has been used to refer to this field, perhaps more frequently in the past than now. However, researchers and practitioners now refer to their field of study as HCI (pronounced as an initialism), which perhaps rose in popularity partly because of the notion that the human, and the human's needs and time, should be considered first, and are more important than the machine's. This notion became increasingly relevant towards the end of the 20th century as computers became increasingly inexpensive (as did CPU time), small, and powerful. Since the turn of the millennium, the field of human-centered computing has emerged as an even more pronounced focus on understanding human beings as actors within socio-technical systems.
- Usability vs Usefulness. Design methodologies in HCI aim to create user interfaces that are usable, i.e. that can be operated with ease and efficiency. However, an even more basic requirement is that the user interface be useful, i.e. that it allow the user to complete relevant tasks.
- Intuitive and Natural. Software products are often touted by marketeers as being "intuitive" and "natural" to use, often simply because they have a graphical user interface. Many researchers in HCI view such claims as unfounded (e.g. a poorly designed GUI may be very unusable), and some object to the use of the words intuitive and natural as vague and/or misleading, since these are very context-dependent terms.
- Data Density and Information Absorption. The rapid growth in the density of computer screen real estate has created an opportunity to accelerate "information absorption" to much higher levels. Classic "data density" on a computer is 50-100 data points, recent advances in data visualization enable thousands of data points to be presented in forms which can be rapidly absorbed. Interfaces such as virtual reality will give further growth to the potential density of information presented..
Design methodologies
A number of diverse methodologies outlining techniques for human-computer interaction design have emerged since the rise of the field in the 1980s. Most design methodologies stem from a model for how users, designers, and technical systems interact. Early methodologies, for example, treated users' cognitive processes as predictable and quantifiable and encouraged design practitioners to look to cognitive science results in areas such as memory and attention when designing user interfaces. Modern models tend to focus on a constant feedback and conversation between users, designers, and engineers and push for technical systems to be wrapped around the types of experiences users want to have, rather than wrapping user experience around a completed system.
User-centered design: User-centered design (UCD) is a modern, widely practiced design philosophy rooted in the idea that users must take center-stage in the design of any computer system. Users, designers, and technical practitioners work together to articulate the wants, needs, and limitations of the user and create a system that addresses these elements. Often, user-centered design projects are informed by ethnographic studies of the environments in which users will be interacting with the system.
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