HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION (HCI)

 INTRODUCTION TO HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION

Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is the study of interaction between people

(users) and computers. Because human-computer interaction studies a human and a
machine in communication, it draws from supporting knowledge on both the
machine and the human side. On the machine side, techniques in computer graphics,
operating systems, programming languages, and development environments are
relevant. On the human side, communication theory, graphic and industrial design
disciplines, linguistics, social sciences, cognitive psychology, and human performance
are relevant. And, of course, engineering and design methods are relevant.

Human:
Humans are the users of the computers. HCI should always consider about what
users expect and need, what physical abilities and limitations they may have, how
their perceptual systems work, and what they find attractive and enjoyable when
they use computers. When humans interact with computers, they bring to the
encounter a lifetime of experience. Designers must decide how to make products
attractive without distracting users from their tasks.

Computer:
A computer carries on its business in a much less obvious way. The information a
computer contains and the operations it performs are represented inside the
computer in a form that we can’t directly observe- binary digits encoded as two
levels of electrical charge. What a computer displays does not arise naturally from
what it is doing inside. Any feedback the user might need must be explicitly planned
out and programmed.

Interaction:
Interaction between users and computers occurs at the user interface which includes
both software and hardware. People have to use the computers or different
embedded devices for different purposes. For this they have to interact with these
machines. Researchers have built different interfaces and methods for those. The
designers and programmers look for a reasonable balance between what can be
programmed within the necessary schedule and budget, and what would be ideal for
the users.

History
Human Computer Interaction(HCI) is an area of research and practice that emerged
in the late 1970s and early 1980s, initially as an area in Computer Science. HCI has
expanded rapidly and steadily for three decades, attracting professionals from many
other disciplines and incorporating diverse concepts and approaches.

1970s- The rise of the Personal Computer.

The broad project of cognitive science, which incorporated cognitive psychology,
artificial intelligence, linguistics, cognitive anthropology, and the philosophy of mind,
had formed at the end of the 1970s.

1980s- Graphical User Interface (GUI).

Graphical User Interface (GUI) is the interface that is designed for the easier
understanding of the users of the computers. Before GUI, there was a command
prompt by which command was given to the computers. GUI started the graphical
interface which is easy to use, understand, visualize, and it improved the working
environment.

1990s- The Internet and Collaborative works.

The Internet started journey in 1990s. So, communications among people became
easier. In the consequence of this, many new technologies arrived for better
communication.

2000s- Mobile Computing and Beyond.

Mobile phones, PDA (Personal Development Assistance), and Smart Phones are
ruling the present world. They offer a wide range of services to the people such as
sms, mms, multimedia, games, email, internet, chatting, video conference, GPS etc.

Now a days the HCI is used in the area of Cognitive Science. With the help of the
Internet, medical facilities can be provided remotely. Different interactive interfaces
are designed those can be used for the cognitive rehabilitation's.

 WHAT IS HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION?

Vijay Kanade

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the field of study that focuses on optimizing

how users and computers interact by designing interactive computer interfaces that
satisfy users’ needs. It is a multidisciplinary subject covering computer science,
behavioral sciences, cognitive science, ergonomics, psychology, and design
principles.
HCI is crucial in designing intuitive interfaces that people with different abilities and
expertise usually access. Most importantly, human-computer interaction is helpful
for communities lacking knowledge and formal training on interacting with specific
computing systems. HCI enables a two-way dialog between man and machine. Such
effective communication makes users believe they are interacting with human
personas and not any complex computing system. Hence, it is crucial to build a
strong foundation of HCI that can impact future applications such as personalized
marketing, eldercare, and even psychological trauma recovery.
Key components of HCI

 Fundamentally, HCI is made up of four key components:

 

1. The user

The user component refers to an individual or a group of individuals that participate

in a common task. HCI studies users’ needs, goals, and interaction patterns. It
analyzes various parameters such as users’ cognitive capabilities, emotions, and
experiences to provide them with a seamless experience while interacting with
computing systems.

2. The goal-oriented task

A user operates a computer system with an objective or goal in mind. The computer
provides a digital representation of objects to accomplish this goal. For example,
booking an airline for a destination could be a task for an aviation website. In such
goal-oriented scenarios, one should consider the following aspects for a better user
experience:

 The complexity of the task that the user intends to accomplish

 Knowledge and skills necessary to interact with the digital object
 Time required to carry out the task

3. The interface

The interface is a crucial HCI component that can enhance the overall user
interaction experience. Various interface-related aspects must be considered, such
as interaction type (touch, click, gesture, or voice), screen resolution, display size, or
even color contrast. Users can adjust these depending on the user’s needs and
requirements.For example, consider a user visiting a website on a smartphone. In
such a case, the mobile version of the website should only display important
information that allows the user to navigate through the site easily. Moreover, the
text size should be appropriately adjusted so that the user is in a position to read it
on the mobile device. Such design optimization boosts user experience as it makes
them feel comfortable while accessing the site on a mobile phone.

4. The context

HCI is not only about providing better communication between users and computers
but also about factoring in the context and environment in which the system is
accessed. For example, while designing a smartphone app, designers need to
evaluate how the app will visually appear in different lighting conditions (during day
or night) or how it will perform when there is a poor network connection. Such
aspects can have a significant impact on the end-user experience.

References
1. Horovitz, E. et. al., Microsoft Research, “The Lumiere Project: Bayesian User
Modeling for Inferring the Goals and Needs of Software Users”.
2. Stephanidis, C. et. al., Institute of Computer Science, Foundation for Research and
Technology -Hellas, Science and Technology Park of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
“Adaptable and Adaptive User Interfaces for Disabled Users in the AVANTI Project”.
3. Johanson Brad, Fox Armando, Winograd Terry , Stanford University, Stanford, CA
“The Interactive Workspaces Project: Experiences with Ubiquitous Computing
Rooms”.
4. Johanson Brad, Fox Armando, Winograd Terry , Stanford University, Stanford, CA
“The Event Heap: An Enabling Infrastructure for Interactive Workspaces”.
5. Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology, Project Oxygen, available at “http://oxygen.lcs.mit.edu/
Overview.html”.
6. Human Computer Interaction (HCI) by John M. Carroll