Page 1 IT82: Human Computer Interaction Module 1 by J.

Manglib

HUMAN COMPUTER INTERACTION CONCEPTS
By : Junny Manglib

Objectives
At the end of this module. The students will:
1. Identify the ways in which humans interact with computers, and the
roles of different types of user interfaces within these contexts.
2. Examine some current issues in HCI and their impact on interface and
interaction design.
3. Investigate fundamental principles for effective interface design.
4. Investigate in further detail, the principles for good graphical user
interface design.
Introduction
Humans interact with computers in many ways, and the interface between humans and the
computers they use is crucial to facilitating this interaction. Desktop applications, internet
browsers, handheld computers, and computer kiosks make use of the prevalent Graphical User
Interfaces (GUI) of today. Voice User Interfaces (VUI) are used for speech recognition and
synthesising systems, and the emerging multi -modal and gestalt User Interfaces (gUI) allow
humans to engage with embodied character agents in a way that cannot be achieved with
other interface paradigms.
Humancomputer interaction (HCI) is the study, planning and design of the interaction between
people (users) and computers. It is often regarded as the intersection of computer science,
behavioral sciences, design and several other fields of study. Interaction between users and
computers occurs at the user interface (or simply interface), which includes both software and
hardware; for example, characters or objects displayed by software on a personal computer's
monitor, input received from users via hardware peripherals such as keyboards and mice, and
other user interactions with large-scale computerized systems such as aircraft and power plants.
The Association for Computing Machinery defines human-computer interaction as "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. An important facet of
HCI is the securing of user satisfaction (or simply End User Computing Satisfaction).
Because human-computer interaction studies a human and a machine in conjunction, it draws
from supporting knowledge on both the machine and the human si de. On the machine side,
techniques in computer graphics, operating systems, programming languages, and
development environments are relevant. On the human side, communication theory, graphic
and industrial design disciplines, linguistics, social sciences, cognitive psychology, and human
factors such as computer user satisfaction are relevant. Engineering and design methods are
also relevant. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of HCI, people with different backgrounds
contribute to its success. HCI is also sometimes referred to as manmachine interaction (MMI) or
computerhuman interaction (CHI).

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HCI is clearly a multi -disciplinary subject (see below), and designing an effective interactive
system from a single discipline in isolation is almost impossible. Computer scientists, however, are
particularly interested in the practicalities of how they can use the principles and methods from
each HCI discipline to assist them in designing better systems. Acquiri ng an understanding of the
theory is important, but knowing how to apply the theory to the problem at hand is equally
valuable (Dix et al. 2004).

Basic goals of HCI is to improve the interactions between users and computers by making
computers more usable and receptive to the user's needs. Specifically, HCI is concerned with:
methodologies and processes for designing interfaces (i.e., given a task and a class of
users, design the best possible interface within given constraints, optimizing for a desired
property such as learnability or efficiency of use)
methods for implementing interfaces (e.g. software toolkits and libraries; efficient
algorithms)
techniques for evaluating and comparing interfaces
developing new interfaces and interaction techniques
developing descriptive and predictive models and theories of interaction
A long term goal of HCI is to design systems that minimize the barrier between the human's
cognitive model of what they want to accomplish and the computer's understanding of the
user's task. A cognitive model is an approximation to human cognitive processes (predominantly human
being) for the purposes of comprehension and prediction.
Most Professional System designers are usually concerned with the practical application of
design methodologies to real -world problems. Their work often revolves around designing
graphical user interfaces and web interfaces.

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Researchers in HCI are interested in developing new design methodologies, experimenting with
new hardware devices, prototyping new software systems, exploring new paradigms for
interaction, and developing models and theories of interaction.
Design principles to Consider
When evaluating a current user interface, or designing a new user interface, it is important to
keep in mind the following experimental design principles:
Early focus on user(s) and task(s): Establish how many users are needed to perform the
task(s) and determine who the appropriate users should be; someone who has never
used the interface, and will not use the interface in the future, is most likely not a valid
user. In addition, define the task(s) the users will be performing and how often the task(s)
need to be performed.
Empirical measurement: Test the interface early on with real users who come in contact
with the interface on an everyday basis. Keep in mind that results may be altered if the
performance level of the user is not an accurate depiction of the real human-computer
interaction. Establish quantitative usability specifics such as: the number of users
performing the task(s), the time to complete the task(s), and the number of errors made
during the task(s).
Iterative design: After determining the users, tasks, and empirical measurements to
include, perform the following iterative design steps:
1. Design the user interface
2. Test
3. Analyze results
4. Repeat
Note: Repeat the iterative design process until a sensible, user-friendly interface is created.
Design methodologies
Most design methodologies start from a model for how users, designers, and technical systems
interact.
1. User-centered design: user-centered design (UCD) is a modern, widely practiced design
philosophy rooted in the idea that users must take center -stage in the design of any
computer system. Users, designers and technical practitioners work together to articulate
the wants, needs and limitations of the user and create a system that addresses these
elements. Often, user-centered design projects are informed by ethnographic studies of
the environments in which users will be interacting with the system.
2. Participatory Design, This practice is similar to UCD but not identical which emphasizes
the possibility for end-users to contribute actively through shared design sessions and
workshops.
Principles of User Interface Design: these are seven principles that may be
considered at any time during the design of a user interface in any order, namely
Tolerance, Simplicity, Visibility, Affordance, Consistency, Structure and Feedback.


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Humancomputer interface
The humancomputer interface can be described as the point of communication between the
human user and the computer. The flow of information between the human and computer is
defined as the loop of interaction. The loop of interaction has several aspects including:
Task Environment: The conditions and goals set upon the user.
Machine Environment: The environment that the computer is connected to,
Areas of the Interface: Non-overlapping areas involve processes of the human and
computer not pertaining to their interaction. Meanwhile, the overlapping areas only
concern themselves with the processes pertaining to their interaction.
Input Flow: The flow of information that begins in the task environment, when the user has
some task that requires using their computer.
Output: The flow of information that originates in the machine environment.
Feedback: Loops through the interface that evaluate, moderate, and confirm processes
as they pass from the human through the interface to the computer
The importance of interaction design
One of the greatest challenges facing a software designer is understanding what a user requires
from a product. To do this, the designer must have at least a basic understanding of mental
models and other psychological theories and their application to software design. Since the user
is interacting with the computer in order to accomplish something, the software interface is
crucial to facilitating the users goals and tasks.
Mental and Conceptual Models
Mental models are psychological representations of real or imaginary situations. The mind
constructs small-scale models of reality in order to reason, to anticipate events, and to underlie
explanation (Craic, cited in Hudson 2004). The structure of the mental model cor responds to
what it represents, and users acquire their mental models through interaction and explanation.
In particular, a users mental model of a software product, and their interaction with it, is defined
by the way in which users perceive the jobs they want to do and how the program helps them
to do it (Cooper & Reimann 2003).
Mental models have the following characteristics (Dix et al. 2004):
a. They are often partial
b. They are unstable and subject to change
c. They can be internally inconsistent
d. They are often unscientific and may be based on superstition rather than
evidence
e. They are often based on incorrect interpretation of the evidence

HCI: Interaction paradigms, idioms and metaphors
Interaction paradigms serve as illustrations of the ways in which humans interact with computers,
and successful paradigms are ones commonly believed to enhance the usability of computer

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systems. New paradigms often arise through exploring current idioms, and pushing those
boundaries to create innovative products (Dix et al. 2004).
Metaphors make use of existing conceptual models (Hudson 2004), and are used to teach new
concepts in terms of those that are already understood. They have been used successfully to
describe the functionality of many interaction widgets, and have contributed greatly to
commercial successes in computing. The success of the GUI desktop metaphor in linking
computer file manipulation tasks with filing tasks in a typical office environment initially makes
the computerised tasks easier to understand.
Types of User Interfaces
There are three commonly recognised user interfaces in use today:
1. The Graphical User Interface, which is possibly the most familiar to most users;
Graphical user interfaces make computing easier by separating the logical threads of
computing from the presentation of those threads to the user, through visual content on the
display device. This is commonly done through a window system that is controlled by an
operating systems window manager. The WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, and Pointers) interface
is the most common implementation of graphical user interfaces today, and will be examined in
detail later in this module. The appeal of graphical user inter faces lies in the rapid feedback
provided by the direct manipulation that a GUI offers (Dix et al. 2004).
Direct manipulation interfaces provide the following features (Dix et al. 2004:p.171):
1. Visibility of the objects of interest.
2. Replacement of complex command languages with actions to
directly manipulate the visible objects (hence the name direct
manipulation).
3. Incremental action at the interface, with rapid feedback on all
actions.
4. Syntactic correctness of all actions, so that every user action is a legal
operation.
5. Reversibility of all actions, so that users are encouraged to explore the
product without severe penalty or danger.


2. The Voice User Interface, one that is rapidly being deployed in many aspects of business;
Voice User Interfaces (VUIs) use speech technology to provide people with access to
information and to allow them to perform transactions. VUI development was driven by
customer dissatisfaction with touchtone telephony interactions, the need for cheaper
and more effective systems to meet customer needs, and the advancement of speech
technology to the stage where it was reliable enough to deliver effective interaction.
A Voice User Interface is what a person interacts with when using a spoken language
application. Auditory interfaces interact with the user purely through sound. Speech is

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input by the user, and speech or nonverbal audio is output by the system (Cohen,
Giangola & Balogh 2004).
VUIs are comprised of three main elements (Cohen, Giangola & Balogh 2004):
o Prompts, also known as system messages, are the recorded or synthesised
speech played to the user during the interaction.
o Grammars are the possible responses users can make in relation to each
prompt. The system cannot understand anything outside of this range of
possibilities.
o Dialog logic determines the actions the system can take following a users
response to a prompt.

3. The Multi-Modal Interface, a relatively new area of research that combines several
methods of user input into a system.
Multi-modal interfaces attempt to address the problems associated with purely auditory
and purely visual interfaces by providing a more immersive environment for human-
computer interaction. A multi -modal interactive system is one that relies on the use of
multiple human communication channels to manipulate the computer. These
communication channels translate to a computers input and output devices. A genuine
multi-modal system relies on simultaneous use of multiple communication channels for
both input and output, which more closely resembles the way in which humans process
information (Dix et al. 2004).

In the field of psychology, Gestalt Theory is used to describe a relationship where the
whole is something other than the sum of its parts1[9]. This theory has recently been used
to describe a new paradigm for human-computer interaction, where the interface
reacts to and perceives the desires of the user via the users emotions and gestures
(Marriott & Beard 2004). This paradigm is called the gestalt User Interface (gUI) and paves
the way for a truly personalised user experience.
Are there any Other User Interface Paradigm?
Many other paradigms for human-computer interaction exist. Perhaps one of the best known
paradigms is the World Wide Web. The web itself did not provide any technological
breakthroughs, because all the required functionality, such as transmission protocols , hypertext
and distributed file systems, already existed. The breakthrough came with the advent of the
browser and HTML, which enabled easy access to information on the internet.
Issues in Human-Computer Interaction
Universality of design is an important element in human-computer interaction. Universal design
defines as, the process of designing products so that they can be used by as many people as
possible in as many situations as possible. Universal design is essentially about attempting to



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ensure that no-one is excluded through the choices a designer makes; but by giving careful
consideration to these issues, the design is invariably made better for everyone (Dix et al. 2004).
What is the definition of User Inter face Design?
User Interface Design refers to the aspects of hardware or software which can be seen (or heard
or otherwise perceived) by the human user, and the commands and mechanisms the user uses
to control its operation and input data. (Based on The Dictionary of Computing).
What is the definition and application of Human-Computer Interaction?
Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the study of interaction between people (users) and
computers. It is an interdisciplinary field, relating computer science, psychology, cognitive
science, human factors, ergonomics, sociology, library and information science, artificial
intelligence, and other fields. Interaction between users and computers occurs at the user
interface (or simply interface), which includes both hardware (i.e. input and output devices) and
software (e.g. determining which information, and how information is presented to the user on a
screen).
What is the relationship between HCI or User Interface design and marketability?
People focus on Usability when thinking of HCI or User Interface Design. And, they think of the
outcome as being a well designed, user centered, efficient, and effective product.
When a product benefits from good usability, users are likely to accept, use, recommend, and
buy that product.
Why Study Human Computer Interaction?
HCI considers important issues on the design of effective interactive systems on everyday life as
in the workplace at home and in schools. The term Human Computer Interaction was adopted
in the mid 1980's as a means of describing this new field of study
The main reason why mainly people study or are interested in HCI is because they want to
increase the efficiency and usability of the system.
In the everyday world, we interact with tens of
thousands of objects, yet generally manage to
use them properly the first time they are
encountered.
Assignments. Advance Readings.
HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION ISSUES
1. ACCESSIBILITY
2. Understanding Accessibility Barriers
3. Legal Requirements
4. Accessibility Design Guidelines
5. Personal Assistive Technologies