ITIS 3130 Human Computer Interaction Dr. Heather Richter Lipford Heather.Lipford@uncc.edu

Agenda Course Info & Syllabus Course Overview Introductions HCI Overview A brief history

Course Information Books Web Interaction Design by Preece, Rogers, and Sharp, Wiley 2007. (ID) The Design of Everyday Things, by Donald Norman, 2002. (DOET) Web http://www.sis.uncc.edu/~richter/classes/2008/3130/index.htm Overview Grading and Policies Syllabus and Lectures Assignments Wiki: http://hci.sis.uncc.edu:8080/itis3130-spring08/

Grading 10% Participation 10% Assignments 50% Project 15% Midterm More next… 50% Project More details to come… 15% Midterm 15% Final

Assignments Most done individually (a few at the end are not) Post to the Swiki by class time on the due date Graded based on a reasonable effort Discuss in class on due date, bring print out so you can talk about it

Group project 4-5 people per group, graded as a group 3 parts: requirements, design, evaluation Original interface design and evaluation Each part due by class time on the due date Project notebook on Swiki with each write up Theme: The environment and sustainability

Course Aims Consciousness raising Design critic Learn Design Process Make you aware of HCI issues Design critic Question bad HCI design - of existing or proposed Learn Design Process Software interfaces and beyond Improve your HCI design & evaluation skills Go forth and do good work!

Course Overview Requirements Gathering Design Evaluation How do you know what to build? Human abilities Design How do you build the best UI you can? Evaluation How do you make sure people can use it? Also cognitive and contextual models, interface paradigms, design guidelines, web and visual design, and advanced topics

How to do well Time and effort Attention to detail Communication Do the reading and prepare for class Attend class and participate Spend time on project This is a writing-intensive class (unofficially) Attention to detail Communication Tell me what you learned and why you made decisions

How to do well DON’T: Expect extra credit work to make up for a bad score Expect that you can let other group members do all the work Expect that you can learn the material without doing the reading and coming to class DO Come talk to me or the TA if you have any questions or difficulties

Introductions – Dr. Heather Richter Lipford Ph.D. in C.S. from Georgia Tech in May 2005 HCI, Ubiquitous Computing, and Software Engineering focus Contact info: Email preferred, put 3130 in title Office: 305E Woodward Office Hours: Wednesday 5:30-6:30pm, Thursday 11am-12pm By appointment

TA- Mark Plemmons Undergraduate in SIS Email: mjplemmo@uncc.edu Office hours: 10-11:30am Wednesdays Office: 330A Woodward

Introductions – your turn Name and major A product/interface/device you love OR A product/interface/device you hate

Introductions – On the Wiki Name, year, major Previous HCI/interface experience Special skills relevant to the project General availability for project meeting Photo (optional) At least one project idea Due January 17

Now let’s get started What is Human-Computer Interaction?

HCI The interaction and interface between a human and a computer performing a task Tasks might be work, play, learning, communicating, etc. etc. Write a document, calculate monthly budget, learn about places to live in Charlotte, drive home… …not just desktop computers!

Why do we care? Computers (in one way or another) now affect every person in our society Tonight - count how many in your home/apt/room We are surrounded by unusable and ineffective systems! Its not the user’s fault!! Product success may depend on ease of use, not necessarily power You will likely create an interface for someone at some point Even if its just your personal web page

Goals of HCI Allow users to carry out tasks Safely Effectively Efficiently Enjoyably

Usability Combination of Ease of learning High speed of user task performance Low user error rate Subjective user satisfaction User retention over time

Design Evaluation Both subjective and objective metrics Some things we can measure Time to perform a task Improvement of performance over time Rate of errors by user Retention over time Subjective satisfaction

UI Design / Develop Process User-Centered Design Analyze user’s goals & tasks Create design alternatives Evaluate options Implement prototype Test Refine IMPLEMENT

Know Thy Users! Physical & cognitive abilities (& special needs) Personality & culture Knowledge & skills Motivation Two Fatal Mistakes: Assume all users are alike Assume all users are like the designer

Design is HARD! “It is easy to make things hard. It is hard to make things easy.” – Al Chapanis, 1982 Its more difficult than you think Real world constraints make this even harder

The past… ? User Productivity ? Time WIMP (Windows) Command Line Batch 1940s – 1950s 1960s – 1970s 1980s - Present Time

Batch processing Computer had one task, performed sequentially No “interaction” between operator and computer after starting the run Punch cards, tapes for input Serial operations

Paradigm: Networks & time-sharing (1960’s)  Command line  teletype increased accessibility interactive systems, not jobs text processing, editing email, shared file system Need for HCI in the design of programming languages

The Ubiquitous Glass Teletype 24 x 80 characters Up to 19,200 bps (Wow - was big stuff!) Construction: Monitor + detachable keyboard Display: 24x80 or 14x132 character cells, optional 24x132 Character matrix: 7x9 with descenders Screen size: 12" diagonal (8" x 4.5" active display) Character set: Complete US ASCII (128 codes) Keys: 65 keys in ANSI X4.14-1971 typewriter layout http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/vt100.html Auxiliary keypad: 18 keys (digits, arrows, function keys) Visual indicators: 7 LEDs Interface: RS-232/V.24, optional 20mA Current Loop Flow control: Xon/Xoff Communication Speeds: 75,110,150,300,600,1200,2400,4800,9600,19200 bps Dimensions: 14.5"x18"14.25" (monitor), 3.5"x18"x8" (keyboard) Minimum table depth: 20.25" Weight: 41 pounds Source: http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/vt100.html

Paradigm: Personal Computer Small, powerful machine dedicated to an individual Importance of networks and time-sharing Also: Laser printer (1971, Gary Starkweather) Ethernet (1973, Bob Metcalfe)

Paradigm: WIMP / GUI Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointers Graphical User Interface Multitasking – can do several things simultaneously Has become the familiar GUI interface Computer as a “dialogue partner” Xerox Alto, Star; early Apples

Xerox Star - 1981 First commercial PC designed for “business professionals” desktop metaphor, pointing, WYSIWYG, high degree of consistency and simplicity First system based on usability engineering Paper prototyping and analysis Usability testing and iterative refinement But it was a flop – too expensive, closed architecture, no spreadsheet

Apple Macintosh - 1984 “The computer for the rest of us” Aggressive pricing - $2500 Not trailblazer, smart copier Good interface guidelines 3rd party applications High quality graphics and laser printer

Paradigm: WWW Hypertext around since the 1960’s… Two new components URL Browser Tim Brenners-Lee did both 1991 first text-based browser Marc Andreesen created Mosaic (first graphic browser, 1993)

New paradigms?

And the future?

Course ReCap To make you notice interfaces, good and bad You’ll never look at doors the same way again To help you realize no one gets an interface right on the first try Yes, even the experts Design is HARD To teach you tools and techniques to help you iteratively improve your designs Because you can eventually get it right

Next time Design process and project information Read ID 1.1-1.5, and chapter 9