HCI+(Human+Computer+Interaction)

=Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)=

toc “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.” (http://sigchi.org/cdg/cdg2.html).

The study of the interaction concerning computers and humans/users is referred to as Human-computer interaction (HCI). Knowledge from both the user (human) and the machine is required for this type of study. Machines involve computer graphics, languages for programming, operating systems etc… Relevant human topics include communication, linguistics, cognitive psychology, graphic design disciplines etc… The interaction occurs when a user uses both the hardware (peripherals) and software (programming) of a computer/machine.

Various methodologies detailing techniques for HCI design have evolved since the 1980s. A majority of these methodologies derive from a model of how designers and users cooperate. One example of this can be seen in User-Centered Design (UCD). It’s a modern design philosophy based on the idea that users are key to the design process.

Computer system developers were not concerned with the ease-of-use of computers back in the days, making it much less user-friendly than it possibly could have been. Because of the fact that all users differ from their formations of mental models when interacting with computers, therefore computer system developers should pay special attention when attempting to create successful interactions with humans (e.g. how users differ from cognitive styles). Moreover, it is also important to keep cultural differences in mind when studying human-computer interaction in order to cater to the majority of users.



A brief history of HCI:

According to Myers, HCI research has been extremely successful, and has changed the foundation of computing. The intellectual formation of advanced HCI technology was originally created by government funding. Within twenty-five years, this technology had rapidly improved how humans interact with computers. These technological influences have systematically been based on original formations such as mouse, Windows, text editing and other similar sources. The interaction with each of these sources is specific; such as ‘clicking’ a mouse. Technologies used to create interfaces also appear to dominate, and continue to dominate powerful sources in this manner. The research itself for these sources has primarily been generated by universities and corporate sponsors. The diagram below demonstrates several of the significant and early examples of HCI use and the research which has been dedicated to them: Gesture Recognition may be viewed as a futuristic source of HCI. This medium has been used in the past and present, although technological advances still prevent the extent of this source from growing. A modern example of this source may be witnessed through pen-based input devices; used for signatures and image creation.

References:
Myers, Brad. A Brief History of HCI Technology. Carnegie Mellon University. Pittsburgh. December 1996. http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~amulet/papers/uihistory.tr.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human-computer_interaction http://sigchi.org/cdg/cdg2.html http://searchsmb.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid44_gci213992,00.html