HCI and Digital Transformation

• Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is the study of how people interact with computers and other technologies.
• Aims to make these interactions effective, efficient, and enjoyable.

Digital Transformation

• Digital transformation is reshaping how we live, work, and interact.
• Businesses and individuals should embrace innovation to thrive in a more digital world.
• Digital transformation is impacting many industries:
  • Healthcare: Telemedicine and AI for diagnostics.
  • Retail: E-commerce and personalized shopping.
  • Finance: Fintech, digital payments, and blockchain.
  • Education: E-learning and virtual campuses.
  • Manufacturing: Industry 4.0 and automation.
• Digital transformation is influencing everyday life:
  • Smart Homes: IoT-driven automation.
  • Transportation: Autonomous vehicles and digital ticketing.
  • Entertainment: Streaming and virtual reality.
  • Communication: Social media and instant messaging.
• Challenges in digital transformation include:
  • Data security.
  • Digital divide.
  • Skill gaps.
  • Privacy concerns.

Activity 1: Driving License Application

• Digital transformation introduces convenience, cost savings, and global reach.
• Negatives of digital transformation include privacy, accessibility, and social impacts.

Activity 2: Ordering Food and Groceries

• Digital transformation introduces convenience, cost savings, and global reach.
• Negatives of digital transformation include privacy, accessibility, and social impacts.

Activity 3: Education

• Digital transformation introduces convenience, cost savings, and global reach.
• Negatives of digital transformation include privacy, accessibility, and social impacts.
• Valuations of companies have dropped from billions to millions of USD

Activity 4: Finance

• Digital transformation introduces convenience, cost savings, and global reach, in real time.
• Negatives of digital transformation include privacy, fraud, and social impacts.

What is Human Computer Interaction?

• HCI emerged in the 1980s.
• Influenced by computer science, psychology, and cognitive science.
• It initially focused on workplace computing.
• Now covers all digital interactions.
• Key contributors include Profs. Stuart Card, Thomas Moran, and Allen Newell.
• HCI enhances usability, reduces errors, and creates satisfying user experiences.

Key Components of HCI

• User: Understanding user behavior, expectations, and limitations.
• Technology: Hardware, software, and technical infrastructure.
• Interaction: Communication between user and technology.

Usability and User Experience in HCI

• Usability focuses on how effectively a user can achieve their goals using a product.
• Efficiency: How quickly tasks can be performed.
• Effectiveness: Accuracy of task completion.
• Learnability: How easy it is for new users to begin using the system.
• Memorability: How easily users can return to a system after a break.
• Satisfaction: User's comfort and positivity towards the system.
• User Experience (UX): The overall experience, emotions, and perceptions of a user when interacting with a product.

Usability vs User Experience vs Customer Experience

• Usability focuses on ease of use and error prevention.
• User Experience (UX) encompasses the overall experience and emotional impact.
• Customer Experience (CX) is a holistic relationship with the brand.

Interaction Design

• Interaction Design (IxD) focuses on meaningful relationships between users and technology through engaging interfaces and seamless experiences.
• Key goal is to make interactions intuitive, efficient, and enjoyable.
• iPhone's Swipe to Unlock: A simple interaction that became iconic for its intuitive user flow.
• Netflix Auto-Play Feature: An interaction that anticipates user needs.
• Google Search Suggestions: Predictive suggestions that speed up the search process.

Principles of Interaction Design

• Affordance: Users should understand possible actions just by looking at the interface.
• Feedback: Clear feedback should be provided after user actions.
• Consistency: Design elements should be predictable and uniform.
• Visibility: Important functions should be visible.
• Error Prevention: Good design minimizes user errors.

Human Centeredness in HCI

• Prioritization of human-centeredness and usability concerns.
• Systems should be easy to use, and easy to learn.
• Very important to have understanding of the users

User Centered Design

• User Research: Conduct surveys, interviews, and observations.
• Ideation: Brainstorming and sketching ideas based on user research.
• Prototyping: Developing mock-ups and wireframes.
• Testing: Conducting usability testing with real users.
• Iteration: Refining designs based on user feedback.

Types of Interaction Styles in HCI

• Command Line Interface (CLI): For technical users, relies on text commands.
• Graphical User Interface (GUI): Uses visual elements like icons and buttons.
• Voice User Interface (VUI): Uses speech recognition for interaction.
• Gesture-Based Interaction: Employs physical movements like swiping.
• AR & VR: Immersive interfaces that blend real and virtual environments.

Emerging Trends & Technologies in HCI

• AI and Machine Learning: Adaptive interfaces that learn from user behavior.
• Augmented Reality (AR) & Virtual Reality (VR): Creating immersive experiences.
• Wearable Technology: Integrating technology into everyday accessories.
• Natural User Interfaces (NUI): Interfaces relying on intuitive actions like gestures or voice.

Designing for Accessibility

• Visual Accessibility: High contrast, scalable text, and alternative text for images.
• Motor Accessibility: Simplified navigation, keyboard shortcuts, and voice commands.
• Cognitive Accessibility: Simple language, consistent navigation, and clear instructions.
• Auditory Accessibility: Captions for videos, transcripts for audio, and sound alternatives.
• Guidelines: Reference to standards like WCAG and ARIA.

Evaluating Usability in HCI

• User Testing: Observing users interacting with the product.
• Heuristic Evaluation: Experts assess the interface.
• Surveys and Questionnaires: Collect quantitative data on user satisfaction.
• Cognitive Walkthrough: Simulating a user's experience to identify usability issues.
• A/B Testing: Comparing two versions of a product to determine which performs better.

Real-World HCI Case Studies

• Successful Case Study: Products that excelled in usability (e.g., Apple's iPhone, Google Search).
• Failed Case Study: Poor design leading to failure (e.g., early versions of Windows Vista or Google Glass).
• Analysis: Examining what was learned, impact on users, and changes made for improvement.

Building HCI Project (Project WAYV)

• Project by Aditya Bhandari and Manya Chaturvedi, supervised by Dr. Rajiv Ratn Shah.
• Addresses the challenge of visually impaired students struggling to learn Braille.
• Traditional methods are outdated and existing tools have limitations.
• Solution: A wearable glove that helps the visually impaired learn Braille through gestures.
• The glove uses haptic sensors and actuators, with an audio feedback instructor website.
• Aligns with government initiatives using Bharati Braille.

Braille Alphabet

• Developed by Louis Braille in the 19th century.
• Each Braille character consists of 6 dots arranged in a 2x3 grid (2 columns and 3 rows).
• Dot Representation: Dots are numbered 1 to 6, starting from the top left, proceeding across each row and column.

Week 1 Summary

• Good design is intuitive and effective, while bad design is confusing and inefficient.
• The goal of an interactive system is a seamless and efficient user experience.
• Digital transformation is the integration of digital technologies into business.
• User-centered design prioritizes the needs and behaviors of users.
• Project ideas should stem from real-world problems to ensure relevance and impact.