Prepared by: Mr Tonio
Prepared for: IT2-1-Human Computer Interaction 2
Mr. Tonio (Tuesday - 7:45 PM - 9:00 PM)
Human-Computer Interaction
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a rapidly expanding area of research and
development that has transformed the way we use computers in the last thirty years.
Research topics and areas include:
Augmented-reality,
collective action,
computer-mediated communication,
computer-supported collaborative work,
crowdsourcing and social computing,
cyberlearning
and future learning technologies, inclusive technologies and accessibility, interactive
audio, mixed-initiative systems, mobile interaction design, multi-touch interaction, social
media, social networks, tangible user interfaces, ubiquitous computing, and
user-centered design.
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.
The emergence of HCI dates back to the 1980s, when personal computing was on the
rise. It was when desktop computers started appearing in households and corporate
offices. HCI’s journey began with video games, word processors, and numerical units.
However, with the advent of the internet and the explosion of mobile and diversified
technologies such as voice-based and Internet of Things (IoT), computing became
omnipresent and omnipotent. Technological competence further led to the evolution of
user interactions. Consequently, the need for developing a tool that would make such
man-machine interactions more human-like grew significantly. This established HCI as a
technology, bringing different fields such as cognitive engineering, linguistics,
neuroscience, and others under its realm. Today, HCI focuses on designing,
implementing, and evaluating interactive interfaces that enhance user experience
using computing devices. This includes user interface design, user-centered design,
and user experience design.
Human-Computer Interaction
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. Thus, HCI is a result of
continuous testing and refinement of interface designs that can affect the context of use
for the users.
Importance of 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. With efficient HCI designs, users need not consider the
intricacies and complexities of using the computing system. User-friendly interfaces
ensure that user interactions are clear, precise, and natural. Let’s understand the
importance of HCI in our day-to-day lives:
1. HCI in daily lives Today- , technology has penetrated our routine lives and has
impacted our daily activities. To experience HCI technology, one need not own or use a
smartphone or computer. When people use an ATM, food dispensing machine, or snack
vending machine, they inevitably come in contact with HCI. This is because HCI plays a
vital role in designing the interfaces of such systems that make them usable and
efficient.
2. Industry - Industries that use computing technology for day-to-day activities
tend to consider HCI a necessary business-driving force. Efficiently designed systems
ensure that employees are comfortable using the systems for their everyday work. With
HCI, systems are easy to handle, even for untrained staff. HCI is critical for designing
safety systems such as those used in air traffic control (ATC) or power plants. The aim
of HCI, in such cases, is to make sure that the system is accessible to any non-expert
individual who can handle safety-critical situations if the need arises.
3. Accessible to disabled The primary objective of HCI is to design systems that
make them accessible, usable, efficient, and safe for anyone and everyone. This implies
that people with a wide range of capabilities, expertise, and knowledge can easily use
HCI-designed systems. It also encompasses people with disabilities. HCI tends to rely
on user-centered techniques and methods to make systems usable for people with
disabilities.
4. An integral part of software success HCI is an integral part of software
development companies that develop software for end-users. Such companies use
HCI techniques to develop software products to make them usable. Since the product is
finally consumed by the end-user, following HCI methods is crucial as the product’s
sales depend on its usability.
5. Useful for untrained communities Today, user manuals for general computer
systems are a rarity. Very few advanced and complex computing systems provide user
manuals. In general, users expect the systems to be user-friendly and enable them to
access the system within a few minutes of interacting with it. Here, HCI is an effective
tool that designers can use to design easy-to-use interfaces. HCI principles also
ensure that the systems have obvious interfaces and do not require special training to
be used. Hence, HCI makes computing systems suitable for an untrained community.
Examples of HCI Technological development has brought to light several tools,
gadgets, and devices such as wearable systems, voice assistants, health trackers, and
smart TVs that have advanced human-computer interaction technology. Let’s look at
some prominent examples of HCI that have accelerated its evolution.
1. IoT technology IoT devices and applications have significantly impacted our daily
lives. According to a May 2022 report by IoT Analytics, global IoT endpoints are
expected to reach 14.4 billion in 2022 and grow to 27 billion (approx.) by 2025. As users
interact with such devices, they tend to collect their data, which helps understand
different user interaction patterns. IoT companies can make critical business decisions
that can eventually drive their future revenues and profits. A recent development in the
field of HCI introduced the concept of ‘pre-touch sensing’ through pre-touch phones.
This means the phone can detect how the user holds the phone or which finger
approaches the screen first for operation. Upon detecting the user’s hand movements,
the device immediately predicts the user’s intentions and performs the task before the
user gives any instructions. Another HCI-related development is that of ‘Paper ID’. The
paper acts as a touchscreen, senses the environment, detects gestures, and connects
to other IoT devices. Fundamentally, it digitizes the paper and executes tasks based on
gestures by focusing on man-machine interaction variables.
2. Eye-tracking technology Eye-tracking is about detecting where a person is looking
based on the gaze point. Eye-tracking devices use cameras to capture the user’s gaze
along with some embedded light sources for clarity. Moreover, these devices use
machine learning algorithms and image processing capabilities for accurate gaze
detection. Businesses can use such eye-tracking systems to monitor their personnel’s
visual attention. It can help companies manage distractions that tend to trouble their
employees, enhancing their focus on the task. In this manner, eye-tracking technology,
along with HCI-enabled interactions, can help industries monitor the daily operations of
their employees or workers. Other applications include ‘driver monitoring systems’
that ensure road security. Moreover, in the future, HCI-enabled eye-tracking systems
may allow users to scroll through a computer screen just by rolling their eyeballs.
3. Speech recognition technology Speech recognition technology interprets human
language, derives meaning from it, and performs the task for the user. Recently, this
technology has gained significant popularity with the emergence of chatbots and virtual
assistants. For example, products such as Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana,
Google’s Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri employ speech recognition to enable
user interaction with their devices, cars, etc. The combination of HCI and speech
recognition further fine-tune man-machine interactions that allow the devices to interpret
and respond to users’ commands and questions with maximum accuracy. It has various
applications, such as transcribing conference calls, training sessions, and interviews.
4. AR/VR technology AR and VR are immersive technologies that allow humans to
interact with the digital world and increase the productivity of their daily tasks. For
example, smart glasses enable hands-free and seamless user interaction with
computing systems. Consider an example of a chef who intends to learn a new recipe.
With smart glass technology, the chef can learn and prepare the target dish
simultaneously. Moreover, the technology also reduces system downtime significantly.
This implies that as smart AR/VR glasses such as ‘Oculus Quest 2’ are supported by
apps, the faults or problems in the system can be resolved by maintenance teams in
real-time. This enhances user experience in a minimum time span. Also, the glasses
can detect the user’s response to the interface and further optimize the interaction
based on the user’s personality, needs, and preferences. Thus, AR/VR technology with
the blend of HCI ensures that the task is accomplished with minimal errors and also
achieves greater accuracy and quality. Currently, HCI research is targeting other fields
of study, such as brain-computer interfaces and sentiment analysis, to boost the
user’s AR/VR experience. A recent development in this regard has been enabled via
‘Dexta Haptic Gloves.’ These VR gloves can sense and process touch parameters
such as surface hardness, softness, etc. These gloves can memorize a user’s finger
movements by locking and unlocking the finger joints as they interact in the VR
environment. Later, the gloves can replicate the recorded data of feelings across
various degrees in real life.
5. Cloud computing Today, companies across different fields are embracing remote
task forces. According to a ‘Breaking Barriers 2020’ survey by Fuze (An 8×8
Company), around 83% of employees feel more productive working remotely.
Considering the current trend, conventional workplaces will witness a massive rejig and
transform entirely in a couple of decades. Thanks to cloud computing and
human-computer interaction, such flexible offices have become a reality. Moreover, an
employee can access data on the cloud from any physical location by exploiting
cloud-based SaaS services. Such virtual settings streamline workflows and support
seamless collaboration with remote teams across industry verticals without impacting
productivity. Thus, with time, the idea of traditional offices will cease to exist, mainly
because of SaaS and HCI.
Goals of HCI The principal objective of HCI is to develop functional systems that are
usable, safe, and efficient for end-users. The developer community can achieve this
goal by fulfilling the following criteria:
- Have sound knowledge of how users use computing systems
- Design methods, techniques, and tools that allow users to access systems based
on their needs
- Adjust, test, refine, validate, and ensure that users achieve effective
communication or interaction with the systems
- Always give priority to end-users and lay the robust foundation of HCI
To realize the above points, developers must focus on two relevant areas: usability and
user experience. Let’s look at each category in detail: 1. Usability Usability is key to
HCI as it ensures that users of all types can quickly learn and use computing systems.
A practical and usable HCI system has the following characteristics:
- How to use it: This should be easy to learn and remember for new and
infrequent users to learn and remember. For example, operating systems with a
user-friendly interface are easier to understand than DOS operating systems that
use a command-line interface.
- Safe: A safe system safeguards users from undesirable and dangerous
situations. This may refer to users making mistakes and errors while using the
system that may lead to severe consequences. Users can resolve this through
HCI practices. For example, systems can be designed to prevent users from
activating specific keys or buttons accidentally. Another example could be to
provide recovery plans once the user commits mistakes. This may give users the
confidence to explore the system or interface further.
- Efficient: An efficient system defines how good the system is and whether it
accomplishes the tasks that it is supposed to. Moreover, it illustrates how the
system provides the necessary support to users to complete their tasks.
- Effective: A practical system provides high-quality performance. It describes
whether the system can achieve the desired goals.
- Utility: Utility refers to the various functionalities and tools provided by the
system to complete the intended task. For example, a sound utility system offers
an integrated development environment (IDE) that provides intermittent help to
programmers or users through suggestions.
- Enjoyable: Users find the computing system enjoyable to use when the interface
is less complex to interpret and understand.
2 (two) User Experience User experience is a subjective trait that focuses on how
users feel about the computing system when interacting with it. Here, user feelings are
studied individually so that developers and support teams can target particular users to
evoke positive feelings while using the system. HCI systems classify user interaction
patterns into the following categories and further refine the system based on the
detected pattern:
- Desirable traits – satisfying, enjoyable, motivating, or surprising
- Undesirable traits – Frustrating, unpleasant, or annoying
Cleverly designed computer interfaces motivate users to use digital devices in this
modern technological age. 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.
Prepared for: IT2-1-Human Computer Interaction 2
Mr. Tonio (Tuesday - 7:45 PM - 9:00 PM)