Human Computer Interaction

Lecture 1

Introduction

Azeema yaseen
 Aims
• Answer what is the significance of Human
Computer Interaction (HCI)

• Describe a formal definition of HCI.

• Brief overview of the topics that we will

discuss in this course
 Traditional Computers Era
• When computers first appeared on the commercial
scene in the 1950s, they were extremely difficult to
use, cumbersome. Reasons for this were:
– They were very large and expensive machines, so that by
comparison human labor was an inexpensive resource.
– They were used only by technical specialists, due to which
little was known about how to make them easier to use.
 Computers are everywhere
• computers have become much less expensive,
computer users come from every walk of life.
• Traditional notion of computers has been changed.
Computers are no more just on your table. They are
everywhere, at everyplace and in everything.
• Look around yourself and you will see examples such
as ATM, cell phone, remote control, calculator,
watch, photocopier, toaster, air conditioner, medical
equipment,
 Computer invasion
• Now, just about everyone, young or old, able or
disabled, skilled or unskilled, is using or is directly
affected by computers in one way or another.
• It means that interaction with them is also
increasing. What about if this interaction is difficult
and cumbersome?
• Have you ever used a hammer whose head is not
properly fitted into the arm?
 Computer invasion (Cont.)
• Machines are leaking into every aspect of lives.
• So now the concept of life, without computer is same
as concept of life without electricity, and obviously it
is hard to live without electricity as well as with
computer!
• Conclusion: Run for your lives---invasion has begun---
the computers are invading.
 Computer invasion… Ups and
Downs
• As computers are penetrating in our daily life, it has
some results.
• The bright side of this invasion is:
– Computers are enabling new discoveries
– Leading to efficiencies
– Making our life easy and convenient
• On the not so bright side the result is:
– Computers are annoying us (Really?).
– They even kill a few of us(What?).
 Change your thinking about
computers
• Computers annoy us, so in turn, we will be tempted
to kill our computers; but we can’t live without
computers. So we will have to think about them.
• We will have to think how we can make them better.
We need to fundamentally rethink how human and
machines interact.
• We will have rethink because the fault for our
problems lies not with our machines, but with us.
 Plane crash incidence
• In December 1995, American Airlines Flight 965
departed from Miami on a regularly scheduled trip to
Cali, Columbia.
• While landing, the pilot needed to select the next
radio navigation fix, named “ROZO”.
• Unfortunately, instead of “ROZO”, the pilot selected
“ROMEO”, 132 miles to the northeast.
• The plain headed over to wrong direction, that is
East.
 Plane crash incidence (Cont.)
• Following indications on the flight computer, the
pilots began an easterly turn and slammed into a
granite peak at 10,000 feet.
• One hundred and fifty two passengers and all eight
crewmembers on the plane died. Four passengers
survived with serious injuries.
• What do you think about the reason for incidence???
 Plane crash incidence (Cont.)
• It was due to the fact that computer indicated falsely
when wrong navigation fix was selected.
• There should have been some mechanism to indicate
that a wrong navigation fix has been selected.
• COMPUTERS MAY KILL US. So, change your thinking
about the interaction of computers with humans.
 Role of HCI
• Here comes the role of HCI. Human designed the
interfaces that we may hate.
• Human continue to use machines even as the
awkward interfaces annoy them.
• HCI plays a role to bridge up the gap between the
interfaces of machines and human understanding.
 Formal Definition of HCI
• “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”
(ACM/IEEE)
 Learning Goals
• Upon the successful completion of this course, you
will be able to:
– Understand the importance and significance of human
computer interaction
– Understand human characteristics and computer system
characteristics affecting the human computer interaction.
– Understand how to design effective user interfaces
– Evaluate user interfaces with different techniques.
 Main Topics
• Interaction devices
• Interaction paradigms
• Ergonomics
• User-Centered Design Approaches
• Requirements
• User Behavior
• Interfaces Designing
• Usability Principles
• Design Evaluation approaches
 Main Topics
• Usability Testing
• Universal Design
• User Support
• Adaptive Help System
• Cognitive Models
• Task Analysis
• Groupware
• Ubiquitous Computing
 Reference Material

• 1. Designing the User Interface: Strategies for

Effective Human-Computer Interaction,
By Ben Shneiderman and Catherine Plaisant, 6th Ed, Pearson Inc,
2016.

• Lecture Slides provided by Instructor