Thoughts About Human Computer Interaction

There is currently no agreed upon definition of the range of topics which form the area of human-computer interaction. Yet we need a characterization of the field if we are to derive and develop educational materials for it. Therefore we offer a working definition that at least permits us to get down to the practical work of deciding what is to be taught:

ACM SIGCHI defines HCI as follows: “Human-computer interaction is a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them.” (Hewett, et. al, 2004).

Computers have become, for better or worse, integral parts of our lives in every respect. We use them to communicate with others, to write our papers, to monitor the arrival and departure of airplanes from a control room, and to play games, to select but a few of their many uses. Each of these uses requires us, as humans, to interact with these machines. This interaction requires a mode of communication that was generally unknown prior to the introduction of computers into our society.

There are significant elements of art including the essentials of design. Instruction can take place via case studies and include topics such as metaphors, affordance, and aesthetics. The science aspects include problem – based learning and techniques such as lab experiments, cognitive walk through and Fitt’s law. Engineering is instilled through decision-making cases and involves re-engineering, story-boarding, and claims analysis.

In other words, there is a continuous cycle consisting of designing to specifications, some type of implementation of the design, either prototype or full, and then an evaluative process that examines if requirements have been satisfied.

There are other disciplinary points of view that would place the focus of HCI differently than dose computer science, just as the focus for a definition of the databases area would be different from a computer science vs. a business perspective.

HCI in the large is an interdisciplinary area. It is emerging as a specialty concern within several disciplines, each with different emphases: computer science (application design and engineering of human interfaces), psychology (the application of theories of cognitive processes and the empirical analysis of user behavior), sociology and anthropology (interactions between technology, work, and organization), and industrial design (interactive products)

So human being to effectively interact with the computer system, the system needs to be designed based on its needs. Human-computer interaction is “a discipline concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them.” The area of HCI has experimented an enormous growth during the last ten years.

Unless the computers systems are designed based on the needs of users, it is not going to win buy needs of users which the very essential factor for companies to stay in this competitive global market. So the need of scientific approaches that studies human use of computer technology and the appropriate design of interfaces are essential so as to produce demanded computer system. 

Hence I am interested in understanding the underlying issues, principles, guidelines and techniques necessary to realize an effective user interface design that satisfies the user of the computer system.