Introduction to Human Computer Interaction (HCI)

What is HCI?

Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is about people interacting with technology. It looks at how
technology is designed, and how it should be designed to make it easy and interesting for people to
use.

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is a multidisciplinary field of study focusing on the design of

computer technology and, in particular, the interaction between humans (the users) and
computers. While initially concerned with computers, HCI has since expanded to cover almost all
forms of information technology design.

Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is a multidisciplinary practice that focuses on both the
interaction between the user (humans) and the computer as well as the design of the computer
interface. Originally, HCI focused primarily on computers, but since then has expanded to include
almost all variations of information technology design after the emergence of personal computers in
the late 1970s. Researchers realized that they had to expand the interaction with computers to
everyone rather than to only people who were information technology professionals. It studies
primarily on how people interact with computers and to what extent the users are able to interact
with the computers. The goal is to have a successful interaction between both the computer and
the user and to see which areas still need more development.
As its name implies, HCI consists of three parts: the user, the computer itself, and the ways they work
together. HCI consists of three components: the user, the computer, and how these two work
together.

1. 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.

2. 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”.

3. 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.

What is being designed?

User interface design

Software design
User-centred design
Product design
Web design
Experience design

Examples Interactive products

There are many different types of interactive products which include the following:-

1. Cell phones
2. Washing machines
3. Computer systems
4. Portable whiteboard systems
5. Touch screen monitors
6. Microwave ovens
7. Television sets
8. Personal digital assistants, personal organisers
9. Digital kiosks
10. iPods
11. Websites
12. Car dash board
13. Websites
14. Mobile telephones
15. ATMs
16. Ticket machines (such as the machine at the railway or bus station)
17. Coffee vending machines
18. Library information systems
19. Computer games
20. Stereos.

The goals of HCI

The intention of this subject is to learn the ways of designing user-friendly interfaces or
interactions. Considering which, we will learn the following −

 Ways to design and assess interactive systems.

 Ways to reduce design time through cognitive system and task models.
 Procedures and heuristics for interactive system design.
 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
 Empathize with the users and anticipate how they will use the technology
 Develop tools and techniques to enable best practices on building a sufficient system
 Produce an effective, efficient, 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.

HISTORY OF HCI
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.

Personal computing, including both personal software (productivity applications, such as text editors
and spreadsheets, and interactive computer games) and personal computer platforms (operating
systems, programming languages, and hardware), made everyone in the world a potential computer
user, and vividly highlighted the deficiencies of computers with respect to usability for those who
wanted to use computers as tools. Personal computing rapidly pushed computer use into the
general population, starting in the later 1970s. However, the non-professional computer user was
often subjected to arcane commands and system dialogs.

HCI surfaced in the 1980s with the advent of personal computing, just as machines such as the Apple
Macintosh, IBM PC 5150 and Commodore 64 started turning up in homes and offices in society-
changing numbers. For the first time, sophisticated electronic systems were available to general
consumers for uses such as word processors, games units and accounting aids. Consequently, as
computers were no longer room-sized, expensive tools exclusively built for experts in specialized
environments, the need to create human-computer interaction that was also easy and efficient for
less experienced users became increasingly vital. From its origins, HCI would expand to incorporate
multiple disciplines, such as computer science, cognitive science and human-factors engineering.

While initially HCI focussed on the problem of a single user interacting with a desktop computer, the
field since expanded to cover almost all forms of information technology design and the long-term
effects that information systems will have on humans.

Why is HCI important?

- Often times, developers are so worried about writing their codes that they forget to think about
the user experience and visual design aspect of their product.

- This can lead to frustrated users with many pain points and stressed developers because they need
to use more time and resources to fix the problem(s).

- At the end of the day, these products are created to simplify the everyday lives of people. Some
examples of interactive products include cell phones, computers, coffee machines, ATM, the web,
etc.

Disciplines contributing to HCI

HCI is an inter-disciplinary discipline comprising experts from many fields, like engineering, computer
science, psychology, graphic design, ergonomics and others. HCI is concerned with the design,
evaluation and implementation of interactive technology. It aims to ensure that technology matches
people's needs, capabilities and limitations, regardless of whether people work in groups or alone.

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
o technology
o software design, development & maintenance
o User Interface Management Systems (UIMS) & User Interface Development Environments (UIDE)
o prototyping tools
o graphics

Cognitive Psychology
o information processing
o capabilities
o limitations
o cooperative working
o performance prediction

Social Psychology
o social & organizational structures

Ergonomics/Human Factors
o hardware design
o display readability

Linguistics
o natural language interfaces

Artificial Intelligence
o intelligent software

Philosophy, Sociology & Anthropology

o Computer supported cooperative work (CSCW)

Engineering & Design

o graphic design
o engineering principles

Ergonomics and human factors

Human Factors is defined as the science concerned with the application of what we know about
people, their abilities, characteristics, and limitations to the design of equipment they use,

Human factors is both a science and a field of engineering. It is concerned with human
capabilities (abilities), limitations, and characteristics, and with the design of systems that are
efficient, safe, comfortable, and even enjoyable for the humans who use them. It is also an art
in the sense of respecting and promoting creative ways for practitioners to apply their skills in
designing systems. One need only change systems in that statement to computer systems to
make the leap from human factors to HCI. HCI, then, is human factors, but narrowly focused
on human interaction with computing technology of some sort.

Ergonomics is often thought of as the field that deals with design of workplace- environment,
machines and tools (working environment the end user is operating within). An Ergonomically
friendly environment is essential within the workplace as it promotes higher staff morale, less:
absences amongst employees from the workplace; due to pain felt from working on a computer
and increased productivity, which ultimately increases profitability. Ergonomics is about ‘fit’ within
a working environment. It is essential that employees are aware of ergonomics which enables
them to consider the health and safety aspects when operating computers. Only when end users
are aware of all aspects of ergonomics can companies benefit from an ergonomically friendly
environment within the workplace.

Relationship of HCI to ergonomics and human factors

Ergonomics and HCI are related to each other because ergonomics is the working environment the
end user is operating within and HCI is the interaction the end user actually has with the computer
system.

Ergonomics and HCI are related to each other because ergonomics is the working environment the
end user is operating within and HCI is the interaction the end user actually has with the computer
system. The computer is the sole physical interface between the end user and the information,
which they are inputting into the computer system.

What is the difference between ergonomics and human factors?

Ergonomics is often thought of as the field that deals with design of workplace- environment,
machines and tools, whereas human factors deals with human physical, mental and perceptual
capabilities, and both are important considerations in the study of work and design of work
environments

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:
Organisation Factors
Training, job design, politics, roles, work organisation
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, 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

What is the future of Human-Computer Interaction?

Through HCI, we see virtual reality, intuitive technology, and more efficient machines
being created, using our roots as human beings to allow technology to serve us better.
Above all, Human-Computer Interaction opens up new doors of possibilities to the digital
world, because it begs the questions, “How can technology better serve us, as humans?”
Looking into the potential of where HCI might lead us can feel as if you’re diving into a sci-fi
novel. That’s because, naturally, HCI wants technology to be as normal and easily accessible
in our day-to-day life as possible, which creates a window into a seemingly futuristic world.9
The latest prototypes that companies around the world are using HCI theories to
develop, include:

1. Dexta haptic gloves were invented to mimic touch sensations of hardness, softness,
springiness, and more, when using virtual reality. The gloves simulate these sensations by
locking and unlocking the user’s fingers’ joints to different degrees as they interact with
objects with their VR experience.10

2. Pre-touch sensing helps your smartphone read your mind (almost). When launched, pre-
touch phones should be able to understand how the user is holding it or what fingers are
approaching the screen to predict what the user wants to do. This would give the sense that
your phone can read your mind as it performs actions before you even give your phone a
clear command.11

3. PaperID is the next attempt at digitising paper, by making it into a touchscreen. This new
technology supposedly will give paper “the ability to sense its surroundings and respond to gesture
commands, as well as connect to the Internet of Things”. The idea is to link the physical and the
digital world together—imagine “a page of sheet music that can detect the motion of a conductor’s
wand being waved over it”.12

Good and poor design

Features of good and poor interaction design

In order to learn how to design good interactive products you should have an idea of features of
good and poor design.

Poor interaction design

A poorly designed interactive product:

 May not match user requirements.
 May be complicated to use – the operations of the system are difficult to understand.
 May provide incomplete or inaccurate information – the information provided to complete a
task is incomplete.
 May display poor aesthetic (appealing) sense
 May not produce the desired output.
 The user is unable to accomplish the task with easy and efficiency

For example:- A website is considered to be poorly designed if it:

- Is not visually attractive.
- Consists of cluttered pages
- The pages are not easily readable.
- Does not consists of functionalities, such as easy navigation and loading.
- Consists of irrelevant and non-useful material.

An example of a poorly designed interactive product:- Consider the website namely Site Critique
(http://www.sitecritique.net/):
It has a remarkably dull page
It loads very slowly and has little of visual interest.
 Much of the text is very small.
Other pages at the site display more tiny text in very long lines.
Colours are poorly used on the pages and for accompanying links.

Another example is a MapQuest site (http://www.MapQuest.com).

It has an ugly home page that uses colours and graphics poorly.
Intrusive animated ads further degrade.
Some of the pages offer very little information on the related topic.

Good interaction design in HCI

Some features of a good design are:

 It considers the user and the place of use.
 It is easy to understand and use – it enables users to undertake the tasks to be done.
 It includes user-friendly functionality.
 It has a good aesthetic sense.
 It shows clarity and consistency.
 It provides visual and audible feedback.
 It considers the activities of users while interacting with the product.
 Its interface allows users to interact with the messages.
 It enables users to achieve the goals simply and easily.

For example a website is considered to be beautifully designed if it:

- Is visually attractive.
- Consists of uncluttered and easily read pages.
- Has printable pages.
- Has functionality, such as easy navigation and loading.
- Consists of interesting, exciting, or useful material.

For example, a website for Dell computers (http://www.dell.com/).

It consists of uncluttered and reasonably attractive opening page that offers good navigation
aids.

Another example is of a Peapod site (http://www.peapod.com/).

It has attractive, uncluttered pages with a pleasing mix of green and white space.
The site has the functionality of loading quickly.
It also navigates easily.

Good ID

 Encourages an easy, natural and engaging interaction between a user and an interactive
product,
 Allows the user to carry out the tasks required.
 Allows users to forget that they are using an interactive product and get on with what they
want to do. Just as knowledge of the transmission mechanism of a car is of little concern to
most motorists, knowledge of the internal workings of an interactive product should be of
little consequence to its users.

Designing a good interactive product involves:-

 Taking into account what people are good and bad at.
 Considering what might help people with the way they currently do things.
  Thinking through what might provide quality user experiences.
 Listening to people’s views and understanding their goals.
 Using tried and tested user-based techniques during the design process.

Activity
Designing a cell phone versus designing a public phone
What would you take into consideration when designing a public phone
Suggested solution
- You take into consideration that it is going to be used by many people with different
characteristics – kinds of users, type of activity being supported, the context of use.
o Public phones are designed for the general public. They have:
 Braille embossed on the keys.
 Speaker volume control.
 Simple mode of interaction.
 Option to make a follow-on call.
 Degree of privacy and noise protection through the use of hoods and booths
User frustration while using an interactive product
What could be the reasons for user frustration, while using an interactive product?
The reasons can be:
 The application does not work properly or crashes.
 When user’s expectations are not met.
 When a system doesn’t do what the user wants it to do.
 When a system doesn’t provide sufficient information to let the user know what to do.
 When vague error messages pop up.
 When the appearance of an interface is too noisy or cluttered.
 When a system requires users to carry out many steps to perform a task.

Activity
Provide examples of different categories of user frustration from your own experience.

Suggested solution
Some examples of user frustration can be:
Gimmicks – user expectations are not met. The remedy is to avoid using gimmicks to
cover up the real crime
Error messages – application crashes and displays unexpected errors. The remedy is to properly
define errors. Messages should be provided
Overburdening the user - Upgrading the product requires the user to carry out excessive tasks.
Remedy: Any upgrade should be an effortless and automatic task
Appearance - Unpleasant interface. Remedy: The interface designed should be based on the
usability design principle, graphic design principle, and ergonomic guidelines.

Safety argument for good ID

Another important aspect to be considered while designing any interactive product is the issue of
safety for both the user and the general public.
The safety issue can be severely compromised by poor ID, with serious consequences.
Systems in which safety is of paramount concern includes:
 Cars
 Aircraft
 Air traffic control consoles
 Nuclear power plants
  Control systems
 Medical devices
Examples
1. A plane crashing can be caused by:-
- Poor understanding between the machine and the pilot.
- The pilot failing to adapt to automation.
Some suggested remedies are:
 Better understanding of the design to use.
 Displaying the vital data.
 Removing the distracting components, if present.
2. Design of a car dashboard:
Automobiles with a bad design can be a major safety issue.
Some of the distracting components included in the car design are:
 A complex design of a radio - it can be dangerous to change the station
while driving at high speeds.
 Cars that include a TV screen, which can distract the driver.
 An almost zero view of the speedometer may distract the driver’s attention
because he or she may not be able to view the current speed while driving.
Economic argument for good ID
One way of demonstrating the importance of good ID is by showing tangible benefits that can be
talked about in cash terms.

Within a business, good ID can lead to benefits such as:

Higher staff productivity,

Lower staff turnover,

Higher staff morale and

Increased job satisfaction.

Economically, these benefits should translate into lower operating costs.

In addition, computer systems that are easy to use and easy to understand require less training,
again saving employers’ money.

Bad ID, on the other hand, may result in stress and unhappiness among staff, leading to high staff
turnover and reduced productivity.

The process of ID
There are four basic activities of interaction design

The ID process involves the following activities:

1. Identifying needs and establishing requirements

2. Developing alternative designs that meet those requirements

3. Building interactive versions of the design so that they can be communicated and assessed

4. Evaluating what is being built throughout the process and the user experience it offers.
 1. Identifying needs and establishing requirements

Know the target users

Know the requirements/needs of the users the interactive product will support

Understand the needs/requirements through data gathering and analysis

1. the characteristics of the users,

2. how they will be using the product,

3. the environment in which they will be using it,

4. and the activities they will be using it for must all be taken into account.

2. Developing alternative designs that meet those requirements

You do:

1. Conceptual design
Describe what the product should do

What it should look like

How it should behave

2. Physical design
Considers details of the product like colours, sounds, images to use, menu

design, and icon design.

Consider alternatives at every point!!!!!

3. Building interactive versions of the designs

Build interactive products

Users can interact with the products to evaluate them

It does not necessarily mean developing a software version, you can develop paper-based
prototypes (quick and cheap) and you can also do role playing.

4. Evaluating designs

Evaluate what is being built throughout the process and the user experience it offers.

Determine usability of the product and determine acceptability of the product.

Through:

Identifying number of errors users make when using the product

How appealing the product is

How well it matches the requirements

Why are activities 1 and 4 in this list important for the process of ID?
Activity 1. Establishing requirements is essential when developing any product. However, for
interaction design, it is essential to understand the needs and requirements of the people who will
be using the product. In particular,

1. the characteristics of the users,

2. how they will be using the product,

3. the environment in which they will be using it,

4. and the activities they will be using it for must all be taken into account. All these issues relate
directly to the design of the interaction.

Activity 4. Evaluation is necessary to establish whether or not the product is usable. This is usually
achieved by involving users in the evaluation process, as they are in the best position to establish the
effectiveness of the design. The evaluation process also enables you to develop a fuller
understanding of the users.

Life cycle models {Refer to your notes for more life cycle models}
The lifecycle model is a term used to represent a model that captures a set of activities and their
relationships. A lifecycle model:-

 Depicts the significant phases or activities of a software project from conception until the
product is retired. Identify the activities to be done and how those activities are related.
 There is also need to understand how to move from one activity to the next.
 Specifies the relationships between project phases, including transition criteria, feedback
mechanisms, milestones, baselines, reviews, and deliverables.
Why life cycle models?

Allows project managers to get an overall view of the development effort so that

 Progress of these activities can be tracked.

 Deliverables specified
 Resources allocated
 Targets indicated, etc.
The model to be used depends on the

Nature of the project

Size of the project

Many lifecycle models exist, for example:

o from software engineering: waterfall, spiral, JAD/RAD, Microsoft, agile
o from HCI: The ID life cycle model, Star, usability engineering

The ID life cycle model is discussed below:-

1. Life cycle model for ID

Establishing requirements

- Identify (specify) needs and requirements of the product to be developed

- These requirements become the focus and driving force behind the development
(Re) Design/Designing alternatives

- Develop alternative designs that meet the identified requirements

- Produce multiple alternative designs
Build an interactive version

- Basic interactive versions of these designs are created and users actually experience and use
these versions
Evaluate

- The product is assessed on how the user will experience the product and how it meets the
requirements previously set.
- End with evaluation that ensures the final product meets the prescribed usability criteria
Depending on evaluation:

You may need to return to redesigning

Return to identifying needs or refining requirements or

Go to the final product.

Note: The final product should meet the prescribed user experience and usability criteria.

The meaning of the numbered arrows is as follows: (Check diagram in the note book)

1 Having created a design, you may realise you need to understand the requirements more fully.

2 Having established the requirements, you have a sound basis to create a design.

3 Whilst evaluating a design with users, you identify additional requirements or you realise you need
to modify existing requirements.

4 Having built an interactive prototype, you are able to evaluate the design.

5 Having evaluated a design with users, you realise you need to modify the design.
6 Having created the design, you are able to build the interactive prototype.

7 Whilst building an interactive prototype you realise you need to modify the design (often because
it is incomplete).

8 Having evaluated the interactive prototype and found it to satisfy the requirements, the lifecycle is
complete.

Some features of the lifecycle model for ID are:

- It incorporates iteration and encourages a user focus. Exemplifies a user-centred design

approach.
- It is not intended to be prescriptive.
- It has its roots in the S/W engineering and HCI lifecycle models.
Advantages of the model

1. Involve users early in the design process and evaluation of the artifact
2. Define quantifiable & measurable usability criteria

3. User-centred

The characteristics of the ID process

In addition to the four basic activities of design, there are three key characteristics of the interaction
design process:

1. Users should be involved throughout the development of the project.

2. Specific usability and user experience goals should be identified, clearly documented and agreed
upon at the beginning of the project

3. Iteration through the four activities is inevitable.

Iteration

In this context, iteration means each of the four ID activities may need to be carried out more than
once, depending upon the outcomes of the other activities. The following are three examples of why
this situation often arises.

1. It is very difficult to understand fully the users and their needs without first having evaluated
some designs with them. This is because each user has a unique and distinct personality, which
results from both their experience of life and their genetic inheritance. For this reason, you should
never assume the users share your knowledge and background, because they probably do not. This
means you are not in a good position to anticipate their needs, so evaluation is essential. In addition,
it can be difficult for users to express their requirements, but when presented with a design it can be
easier for them to say whether or not it is appropriate.

2. Evaluation can result in the design or the requirements being modified; these then need
evaluating again, and so on.

3. There is typically no single design that perfectly meets the needs of the users. Instead it is a
matter of exploring the different design options, making compromises as necessary. Each design
needs to be evaluated, again resulting in iteration, tending towards the design that best meets the
needs of the users.
Thus it is usually necessary to move between the four ID activities in a fluid and often repetitive
manner. This makes the ID process very different to less flexible methodologies such as the waterfall
model as described in Unit 3 of this block.

Why are the core characteristics of ID important?

Help designers:

- understand how to design interactive products that fit with what people want, need and
may desire

- appreciate that one size does not fit all e.g., teenagers are very different to grown-ups

- identify any incorrect assumptions they may have about particular user groups e.g., not all
old people want or need big fonts

- be aware of both people’s sensitivities and their capabilities