Human Computer Interaction

Lecture 02 – Goals of HCI

Abdur Rehman,
Institute of Computing (IoC), KUST, KPK
Pakistan

AbbuTameem@gmail.com

IoC, KUST 1
 WHAT IS HCI?

 The term human–computer interaction has only been in

widespread use since the early 1980s, but has its roots in
more established disciplines.

 Systematic study of human performance began in earnest at

the beginning of the last century in factories, with an
emphasis on manual tasks.

 Ergonomics Research Society was founded in 1949.

o Traditionally, ergonomists have been concerned primarily with the
physical characteristics of machines and systems, and how these
affect user performance.

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 Multiple names for same field
 Ergonomics or Human Factors
o Ergonomics being the preferred term in the United Kingdom
o Human Factors in the English-speaking parts of North America.
o Both of these disciplines are concerned with user performance in the context
of any system, whether computer, mechanical or manual.

 There are other names for HCI , like

o Usability Engineering
o CHI
o HMI
o MMI
o UCD (User Center Designed)
o UXD (User Experience Design)

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 Definition of HCI
 The (ACM) 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"

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 Definition of HCI
 HCI (human-computer interaction) is the study of
how people interact with computers and to what
extent computers are or are not developed for
successful interaction with human beings.

 We could also say that HCI involves the design,

implementation and evaluation of interactive
systems in the context of the user’s task and work.

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 HCI
 When we talk about human–computer interaction, we do not
necessarily envisage a single user with a desktop computer.
Rather it involves:

1. User
o By user we may mean an individual user, a group of users working
together, or a sequence of users in an organization, each dealing with
some part of the task or process.
o The user is whoever is trying to get the job done using the technology

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2. Computers
o By computer we mean any technology ranging
from the general desktop computer to a large-scale computer
system, a process control system or an embedded system.
o The system may include non-computerized parts, including
other people.

3. Interactions
o By interaction we mean any communication between
a user and computer, be it direct or indirect.
o Direct interaction involves a dialog with feedback and control
throughout performance of the task.
o Indirect interaction
may involve batch processing or intelligent sensors
controlling the environment.

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 The Goals of HCI

 The goals of HCI are to produce usable and safe

systems, as well as functional systems.

 In order o produce computer systems with good

usability, developers must attempt to:
o understand the factors that determine how people use
technology
o develop tools and techniques to enable building suitable
systems
o achieve efficient, effective, and safe interaction
o put people first
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 The Goals of HCI

 Underlying the whole theme of HCI is the belief that

people using a computer system should come first.

 Their needs, capabilities and preferences for

conducting various tasks should direct developers in
the way that they design systems.

 People should not have to change the way that they

use a system in order to fit in with it. Instead, the
system should be designed to match their
requirements.
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