What is HCI? IMD07101: Introduction to Human Computer Interaction Brian Davison 2011/12

Agenda What does ‘HCI’ mean? A little bit of history About this module Why is HCI important, and why should you care? Meet Don Norman What’s next?

What does HCI mean? HumanComputer

What does HCI mean? HumanComputer

Computers

Humans Young OldRich Poor Expert Novice Stressed Relaxed

HCI 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. –ACM SIGCHI, 1992 –Association for Computing Machinery, Special Interest Group: HCI

Interaction Action Feedback

The user interface (UI) UserComputer Feedback Action

The UI is… … the medium through which a user communicates with a computer… … physically … cognitively

A little bit of history 2011 Computing power Era I 1950/60/70s Era II 1970/80s Era III 1980s Era IV? now WW II HCI

Putting the user at the centre of design Realisation that computer systems should be designed to suit the needs and capabilities of the people for whom they are intended. Getting the job done… –Safely –Efficiently –Effectively –Enjoyably

cognitive psychology, computer science, social and anthropological psychology, ergonomics and human factors, cognetics, sociology, anthropology, philosophy, artificial intelligence, linguistics, engineering design, product design, graphic design, interaction design, industrial design, information architecture, information systems, computer supported cooperative work Technique Process Structure Idea HCI is where design meets engineering WhatWhyHow

About this module Lecture: Mondays (except 19 th Sep – next week) Tutorial: 2 hours of practical activity Practical: Computer lab Assessment 1: Individual report based on your work in weeks 2-5 Assessment 2: Group project in week 14 (5 th – 9 th Dec) Details can be found in WebCT

Teaching team Brian Davison: Module Leader Malcolm Rutter Tom McEwan Demonstrators

Learning outcomes Explain why good user interface design is important with respect to usability and accessibility Apply user-centred approaches in HCI to the design of systems Design, develop and evaluate interactive applications Deploy a range of techniques for the communication of technical material Work effectively as a member of a team

Reading Benyon (2010) Designing Interactive Systems Chapters 1 & 2 Blackwells Amazon

10 minute break

Why is HCI important, and why should you care? A well-designed UI… –Protects the user –Makes it easier to do something –Is more enjoyable EC Directive 90/270/EEC –Requires employers to ensure the following when designing, selecting, commissioning or modifying software: That it is suitable for the task (fit for purpose) That it is easy to use and, where appropriate, adaptable to the user’s knowledge and experience That it provides feedback on performance That it displays information in a format and at a pace that is appropriate for the user That it conforms to the ‘principles of software ergonomics’

Usability Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. - Jakob Nielsen –Learnability How easy is it for users to accomplish basic tasks the first time they encounter the design? –Efficiency Once users have learned the design, how quickly can they perform tasks? –Memorability When users return to the design after a period of not using it, how easily can they re-establish proficiency? –Errors How many errors do users make, how severe are these errors, and how easily can they recover from the errors? –Satisfaction How pleasant is it to use the design?

I still can’t work the DVD player…

Basic principles Donald Norman (1988) identified two principles that he considered would help toward good interface design –VISIBILITY Controls need to be visible –AFFORDANCE Their design should suggest their functionality Norman, D.A. (1988) The Psychology of Everyday Things, Basic Books

Door handles

Visibility and affordance

Meet Don Norman

What’s next? Tutorial: Getting started with design Practical: HTML Fieldwork: Instead of a lecture next week, there is a group activity. More about this in the tutorial Read chapter 1 of DIS Look in WebCT for details of the activities this week Check ahead to see what’s coming up next week