🖥️Human-Computer Interaction Unit 1 – Intro to Human-Computer Interaction

Key Concepts and Definitions

• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) studies how people interact with computers and technology, focusing on designing user-friendly interfaces and experiences
• User-centered design prioritizes the needs, wants, and limitations of the end user throughout the design process
• Usability refers to the ease of use and learnability of a system, ensuring users can effectively and efficiently achieve their goals
• User experience (UX) encompasses the overall experience of a person using a product or service, including usability, accessibility, and emotional impact
• Interaction design involves creating engaging interfaces with well thought out behaviors, considering user feedback and system responses
• Affordances are visual cues that suggest how an object or interface element should be used (buttons, sliders, etc.)
• Cognitive load refers to the mental effort required to use a system, which should be minimized for optimal user performance
  • Intrinsic cognitive load is inherent to the task itself
  • Extraneous cognitive load is caused by unnecessary or confusing elements in the design

Historical Context of HCI

• HCI emerged as a field in the 1980s with the rise of personal computing and graphical user interfaces (GUIs)
• Early HCI research focused on improving the usability of command-line interfaces and developing guidelines for interface design
• The 1990s saw the growth of the World Wide Web and a shift towards designing for a broader, non-technical audience
• Mobile devices and touchscreens in the 2000s introduced new interaction paradigms and design challenges
• The rise of social media and collaborative platforms led to research on social computing and online communities
• Advancements in artificial intelligence, virtual reality, and ubiquitous computing have expanded the scope of HCI research
• The field continues to evolve, addressing emerging technologies and the changing needs of users in various contexts

Principles of User-Centered Design

• Understand and specify the context of use, including user characteristics, tasks, and environments
• Involve users throughout the design process, gathering feedback and iterating based on their input
• Design solutions that meet user needs and goals, rather than focusing solely on technical capabilities
• Strive for simplicity and consistency in interface design, reducing cognitive load and learning curves
• Provide clear and informative feedback to users, helping them understand the system's state and actions
• Allow for user control and freedom, enabling users to undo actions and navigate freely within the system
• Accommodate different user skill levels and preferences through flexible and adaptable interfaces
• Prioritize accessibility, ensuring that the system is usable by people with diverse abilities and disabilities

Interaction Design Process

• Define the problem and gather requirements through user research, stakeholder interviews, and competitive analysis
• Create user personas and scenarios to guide the design process and maintain a user-centered focus
• Develop information architecture and navigation structures that organize content and functionality logically
• Sketch and prototype interface ideas, starting with low-fidelity wireframes and progressing to interactive prototypes
• Conduct usability testing with representative users to gather feedback and identify areas for improvement
• Iterate on the design based on user feedback, refining and testing until the desired level of usability is achieved
• Implement the final design, collaborating with developers to ensure technical feasibility and performance
• Monitor and evaluate the system post-launch, gathering user feedback and analytics to inform future iterations

Usability and User Experience

• Usability focuses on the effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction with which users can achieve their goals
• User experience encompasses the entire interaction with a product or service, including emotions and perceptions
• Usability heuristics, such as Nielsen's 10 principles, provide guidelines for evaluating and improving interface design
• Accessibility ensures that products and services are usable by people with disabilities, following guidelines like WCAG
• Learnability refers to how easily users can understand and start using a system effectively
• Memorability is the ease with which users can remember how to use a system after a period of non-use
• Efficiency is the speed and accuracy with which users can complete tasks once they have learned the system
• Errors should be minimized, and when they occur, users should be able to easily recover from them

Evaluation Methods in HCI

• Usability testing involves observing users as they interact with a system to identify usability issues and gather feedback
  • Can be conducted in-person or remotely using screen-sharing and video conferencing tools
  • Formative testing is done during the design process to inform iterative improvements
  • Summative testing assesses the final product's usability and user experience
• Heuristic evaluation involves expert reviewers assessing an interface against established usability principles
• Cognitive walkthroughs simulate a user's problem-solving process to identify potential usability issues
• A/B testing compares two versions of a design to determine which performs better based on user behavior and metrics
• Surveys and questionnaires gather self-reported data on user attitudes, preferences, and experiences
• Analytics and log data provide insights into user behavior and usage patterns in real-world contexts
• Eye-tracking studies measure visual attention and can help optimize the placement of interface elements

Emerging Trends and Technologies

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are being integrated into user interfaces for personalization and automation
• Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) and conversational agents enable natural language interaction with systems
• Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR) create immersive experiences and new interaction possibilities
• Wearable devices and the Internet of Things (IoT) expand the contexts in which HCI is relevant
• Affective computing involves designing systems that can recognize, interpret, and respond to human emotions
• Explainable AI aims to make AI-based systems more transparent and understandable to users
• Inclusive design considers the needs of diverse user populations, including different ages, abilities, and cultural backgrounds
• Sustainability and ethical considerations are becoming increasingly important in HCI research and practice

Practical Applications and Case Studies

• E-commerce websites and applications apply HCI principles to create seamless and persuasive shopping experiences
• Social media platforms use HCI research to design engaging and addictive user experiences that encourage user-generated content and interaction
• Healthcare systems employ HCI to develop user-friendly interfaces for electronic health records and telemedicine
• Educational technology relies on HCI to create effective and engaging learning experiences across various platforms
• Productivity tools and software use HCI principles to streamline workflows and optimize user efficiency
• Gaming and entertainment systems leverage HCI to create immersive and enjoyable experiences that keep users engaged
• Accessibility features in operating systems and applications demonstrate the practical application of inclusive design principles
• Public kiosks and information displays apply HCI principles to create intuitive and accessible interfaces for diverse users in various contexts