Week 2: Introduction to HCI

What is HCI ?

HCI (human-computer interaction) is the study of how people interact with computers and to what extent computers are or are not developed for successful interaction with human beings.
As its name implies, HCI consists of three parts: the user, the computer itself, and the ways they work together.

User

By "user", we may mean an individual user, a group of users working together. An appreciation of the way people's sensory systems (sight, hearing, touch) relay information is vital. Also, different users form different conceptions or mental models about their interactions and have different ways of learning and keeping knowledge and. In addition, cultural and national differences play a part.

Computer

When we talk about the computer, we're referring to any technology ranging from desktop computers, to large scale computer systems. For example, if we were discussing the design of a Website, then the Website itself would be referred to as "the computer". Devices such as mobile phones or VCRs can also be considered to be “computers”.

Interaction

There are obvious differences between humans and machines. In spite of these, HCI attempts to ensure that they both get on with each other and interact successfully. In order to achieve a usable system, you need to apply what you know about humans and computers, and consult with likely users throughout the design process. 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.

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:
• 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

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.



Warawit Whangpakdi
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