Lesson 1.1.pdf

Human Computer Interaction MODULE 1 – THE HUMAN AND COMPUTER INTERACTION  Human–computer interaction (HCI), alternatively man–machine interaction (MMI) or computer–human interaction (CHI) is the study of interaction between people (users) and computers or HCI is the stud...

Human Computer Interaction MODULE 1 – THE HUMAN AND COMPUTER INTERACTION  Human–computer interaction (HCI), alternatively man–machine interaction (MMI) or computer–human interaction (CHI) is the study of interaction between people (users) and computers or HCI is the study of how people interact with computers, especially as it relates to technology design. User-centered design, UI (User Interface), and UX (user experience) are combined with HCI to provide intuitive technology and products. HCI specialists consider how to develop and deploy computer systems that satisfy human users. The majority of this research focuses on enhancing human-computer interaction by enhancing how people utilize and comprehend an interface. The Rise of HCI As a means of examining how and why computers might be made more user-friendly, HCI emerged in the early 1980s. In a short period of time, the research area expanded to practically encompass all IT. It changed everything when Apple introduced the Macintosh in 1984. The usage of computers has become much more accessible, making communication simpler. Keyboard, mouse, and icon-based user interfaces were popular during this period.  Despite the fact that it has expanded significantly since its inception, the field of human-computer interaction will keep growing as more information about users and computers is learned. Giving users additional options and adopting a more humane stance to accommodate people with various preferences, disabilities, and fears, new HCI methodologies are striving to personalize interaction tools and processes as much as feasible. In addition to the exponential growth of HCI possibilities, sign systems are adopting technologies created for phones, homes, and other personal devices more swiftly.  Technology will unavoidably keep advancing at a faster rate. As technology advances its human interaction process also changes. There are even technologies which have less interaction needed. Importance of HCI The study of human-computer interaction aims to create a conversation between people and machines that seems natural and intuitive. A superior user experience that doesn't necessitate a lot of physical or mental effort is what designers and product developers strive to achieve. Humans use digital devices to do various jobs, and effective human-computer interfaces are essential. Lack of consideration for human-computer interaction can result in poorly designed user interfaces that have an adverse effect on product usability and raise the likelihood of product failure.  Designers can gain invaluable knowledge about ergonomics, usability, user behaviors, emotional responses, user goals, and user personas by researching human-computer interaction. The ultimate goal of HCI is to reduce the amount of effort a user expends when using technology. It aspires to make interactions between people and computers as simple, natural, and open-ended as interactions between people. Specific importance of HCI User-centered design is getting a crucial role! It is getting more important today to increase competitiveness via HCI studies (Norman, 1990) High-cost e-transformation investments Users lose time with badly designed products and services Users even give up using bad interface – Ineffective allocation of resources Components of Human-Computer Interaction The User An individual or a group of individuals who work together on a project is referred to as the user component. HCI researches the needs, objectives, and interaction styles of users. The Goal-Oriented Task When using a computer, a user always has a purpose or aim in mind. To achieve this, the computer presents a digital representation of things. The Interface An essential HCI element that can improve the quality of user interaction is the interface. Many interface-related factors need to be taken into account, including the type of interaction, screen resolution, display size, and even color contrast.  Interaction refers to the dialogue generated by the command and data, input to the computer and the display, output of the computer and the sensory/perceptual input to the human and motor response of the human. There are number of ways in which the user can communicate with the system, batch input, direct manipulation etc. The Context HCI is not only about providing better communication between users and computers but also about factoring in the context and environment in which the system is accessed. Goals of HCI Possess a thorough knowledge of user interfaces for computing systems. Create approaches, strategies, and resources that let users access systems in accordance with their requirements. Ensure that users are able to communicate or engage with the systems effectively by adjusting, testing, refining, and validating. Always prioritize end users and build a solid HCI foundation. Principles of HCI Researchers and designers in the field of human-computer interaction have established numerous concepts. These regulations range from general norms and design guidelines to abstract design principles. The most crucial HCI guidelines are as follows: Design for familiarity and learnability Make the elements readable and approachable. Tolerance for errors Flexibility Goals of HCI A basic goal of HCI is – to improve the interactions between users and computers – by making computers more usable and receptive to the user's needs. A long term goal of HCI is – to design systems that minimize the barrier between the human's cognitive model of what they want – to accomplish and the computer's understanding of the user's task User Interface Design User interface, design is a subset of a field of study called human-computer interaction (HCI). Human-computer interaction is the study, planning, and design of how people and computers work together so that a person's needs are satisfied in the most effective way. HCI designers must consider a variety of factors: what people want and expect, physical limitations and abilities people possess, how information processing systems work, what people find enjoyable and attractive. Technical characteristics and limitations of the computer hardware and software must also be considered.  The user interface is to – the part of a computer and its software that people can see, hear, touch, talk to, or otherwise understand or direct. The user interface has essentially two components: input and output. Input is how a person communicates his / her needs to the computer. – Some common input components are the keyboard, mouse, trackball, one's finger, and one's voice. Output is how the computer conveys the results of its computations and requirements to the user. – Today, the most common computer output mechanism is the display screen, followed by mechanisms that take advantage of a person's auditory capabilities: voice and sound. The use of the human senses of smell and touch output in interface design still remain largely unexplored.  Proper interface design will provide a mix of well-designed input and output mechanisms that satisfy the user's needs, capabilities, and limitations in the most effective way possible. The best interface is one that it not noticed, one that permits the user to focus on the information and task at hand, not the mechanisms used to present the information and perform the task. The Importance of Good Design With today's technology and tools, and our motivation to create really effective and usable interfaces and screens, why do we continue to produce systems that are inefficient and confusing or, at worst, just plain unusable? Is it because: We don't care? We don't possess common sense? We don't have the time? We still don't know what really makes good design? But we never seem to have time to find out what makes good design, nor to properly apply it. After all, many of us have other things to do in addition to designing interfaces and screens.  So we take our best shot given the workload and time constraints imposed upon us. The result, too often, is woefully inadequate. Interface and screen design were really a matter of common sense, we developers would have been producing almost identical screens for representing the real world. Example bad designs – Closed door with complete wood – suggestion : glass door THE IMPORTANCE OF THE USER INTERFACE A well-designed interface and screen is terribly important to our users. It is their window to view the capabilities of the system. It is also the vehicle through which many critical tasks are presented. These tasks often have a direct impact on an organization's relations with its customers, and its profitability. A screen's layout and appearance affect a person in a variety of ways. If they are confusing and inefficient, people will have greater difficulty in doing their jobs and will make more mistakes.  Poor design may even chase some people away from a system permanently. It can also lead to aggravation, frustration, and increased stress. The Benefits of Good Design Poor clarity forced screen users to spend one extra second per screen. Almost one additional year would be required to process all screens. Twenty extra seconds in screen usage time adds an additional 14 person years. The benefits of a well designed screen have also been under experimental scrutiny for many years. One researcher, for example, attempted to improve screen clarity and readability by making screens less crowded. Separate items, which had been combined on the same display line to conserve space, were placed on separate lines instead. The result screen users were about 20 percent more productive with the less crowded version.  Proper formatting of information on screens does have a significant positive effect on performance. In recent years, the productivity benefits of well-designed Web pages have also been scrutinized. Training costs are lowered because training time is reduced. Support line costs are lowered because fewer assist calls are necessary. Employee satisfaction is increased because aggravation and frustration are reduced. Ultimately, that an organization's customers benefit because of the improved service they receive. BASIC USER INTERFACES Five commonly encountered user interfaces paradigm  Identifying and resolving problems during the design and development process also has significant economic benefits? How many screens are used each day in our technological world? How many screens are used each day in your organization? Thousands? Millions? Imagine the possible savings. Proper screen design might also, of course, lower the costs of replacing "broken" PCs. A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERFACE The need for people to communicate with each other has existed since we first walked upon this planet. The lowest and most common level of communication modes we share are movements and gestures. Movements and gestures are language independent, that is, they permit people who do not speak the same language to deal with one another.  The next higher level, in terms of universality and complexity, is spoken language. Most people can speak one language, some two or more. A spoken language is a very efficient mode of communication if both parties to the communication understand it. At the third and highest level of complexity is written language. While most people speak, not all can write. But for those who can, writing is still nowhere near as efficient a means of communication as speaking.  In modem times, we have the typewriter, another step upward in communication complexity. Significantly fewer people type than write. (While a practiced typist can find typing faster and more efficient than handwriting, the unskilled may not find this the case.) Spoken language, however, is still more efficient than typing, regardless' of typing skill level.  Through its first few decades, a computer's ability to deal with human communication was inversely related to what was easy for people to do. o The computer demanded rigid, typed input through a keyboard; people responded slowly using this device and with varying degrees of skill. o The human-computer dialog reflected the computer's preferences, consisting of one style or a combination of styles using keyboards, commonly referred to as Command Language, Question and Answer, Menu selection, Function Key Selection, and Form Fill-In.  Throughout the computer's history, designers have been developing, with varying degrees of success, other human-computer interaction methods that utilize more general, widespread, and easier-to-learn capabilities: voice and handwriting. Systems that recognize human speech and handwriting now exist, although they still lack the universality and richness of typed input. INTRODUCTION OF THE GRAPHICAL USER INTERFACE The Xerox systems, Altus and STAR, introduced the mouse and pointing and selecting as the primary human-computer communication method. The user simply pointed at the screen, using the mouse as an intermediary. These systems also introduced the graphical user interface as we know it a new concept was born, revolutionizing the human-computer interface. A BRIEF HISTORY OF SCREEN DESIGN While developers have been designing screens since a cathode ray tube display was first attached to a computer, more widespread interest in the application of good design principles to screens did not begin to emerge until the early 1970s, when IBM introduced its 3270 cathode ray tube text-based terminal. It usually consisted of many fields (more than are illustrated here) with very cryptic and often unintelligible captions.  It was visually cluttered, and often possessed a command field that challenged the user to remember what had to be keyed into it. Ambiguous messages often required referral to a manual to interpret. Effectively using this kind of screen required a great deal of practice and patience. Most early screens were monochromatic, typically presenting green text on black backgrounds. At the turn of the decade guidelines for text-based screen design were finally made widely available and many screens began to take on a much less cluttered look through concepts such as grouping and alignment of elements.  User memory was supported by providing clear and meaningful field captions and by listing commands on the screen, and enabling them to be applied, through function keys. Messages also became clearer. These screens were not entirely clutter-free, however. Instructions and reminders to the user had to be inscribed on the screen in the form of prompts or completion aids such as the codes PR and Sc. Not all 1980s screens looked like this, however. In the 1980s, 1970s-type screens were still being designed, and many still reside in systems today.  The advent of graphics yielded another milestone in the evolution of screen design as illustrated in Figure above while some basic "design principles did not change, groupings and alignment, for example, Borders were made available to visually enhance groupings and buttons and menus for implementing commands replaced function keys.  Multiple properties of elements were also provided, including many different font sizes and styles, line thicknesses, and colors. The entry field was supplemented by a multitude of other kinds of controls, including list boxes, drop-down combination boxes, spin boxes, and so forth. These new controls were much more effective in supporting a person's memory, now simply allowing for selection from a list instead of requiring a remembered key entry. Completion aids disappeared from screens, replaced by one of the new listing controls. Screens could also be simplified, the much more powerful computers being able to quickly present a new screen. In the 1990s, our knowledge concerning what makes effective screen design continued to expand. Coupled with ever-improving technology, the result was even greater improvements in the user-computer screen interface as the new century dawned. THE POPULARITY OF GRAPHICS A graphical screen bore scant resemblance to its earlier text-based colleagues. Older text-based screen possessed a one dimensional Graphic screens assumed a three-dimensional look. Controls appeared to rise above the screen and move when activated. Information could appear, and disappear, as needed. Text could be replaced by graphical images called icons. These icons could represent objects or actions Selection fields such as radio buttons, check boxes, list boxes, and palettes coexisted with the reliable old text entry field  More sophisticated text entry fields with attached or dropdown menus of. Objects and actions were selected through use of pointing mechanisms. Increased computer power. User's actions to be reacted to quickly, dynamically, and meaningfully. WIMP interface: windows, icons, menus, and pointers. Graphic presentation is much more effective than other presentation methods. Properly used, it reduces the requirement for perceptual and mental information recoding and reorganization, and also reduces the memory loads. It permits faster information transfer between computers and people by permitting more visual comparisons of amounts, trends, or relationships; more compact representation of information; Graphics also can add appeal or charm to the interface and permit greater customization to create a unique corporate or organization style. GRAPHICAL SYSTEMS ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES Reduce the memory requirements. More effective use of one's information. Dramatically reduce system learning requirements. Experience indicates that for many people they have done all these things. ADVANTAGES Symbols recognized faster than text. Faster learning Faster use and problem solving. Easier remembering More natural Exploits visual/spatial cues Fosters more concrete thinking Provides context Fewer errors Increased feeling of control  Immediate feedback Predictable system responses Easily reversible actions Less anxiety concerning use More attractive May consume less space Replaces national languages Easily augmented with text displays Smooth transition from command language system DISADVANTAGES Greater design complexity. Learning still necessary Replaces national languages Easily augmented with text displays Smooth transition from command language system Lack of experimentally-derived design guidelines Use a pointing device may also have to be learned  Working domain is the present Human comprehension limitations Window manipulation requirements Production limitations Few tested icons exist Inefficient for touch typists Inefficient for expert users Not always the preferred style of interaction Not always fastest style of interaction Increased chances of clutter and confusion May consume more screen space Hardware limitations HCI and Usability HCI(Human Computer Interaction) and Usability are becoming core concepts of the system development process to improve and enhance system facilities and to satisfy user needs and necessities. Usability is a quality attribute that assesses how easy user interfaces are to use. The word "usability" also refers to methods for improving ease-of-use during the design process.  HCI assists designers and analysts to identify the needs of texts, fonts, layout, graphics, color, etc. While Usability ensures system the system is efficient, effective, safe, easy to learn, easy to remember, easy to evaluate, and provides job satisfaction to users. ISO 9421 defines usability as effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction with which users accomplish tasks. Principles of Usability Learnability: The ease with which new users can begin effective interaction and achieve maximal performance Flexibility: The multiplicity of ways the user and system exchange information Robustness: The level of support provided to the user in determining achievement and assessment of goal-directed behavior Principles of Learnability Predictability: It determines the effects of future action based on past interaction history. Synthesizability: It determines the effects of past operations on current states. eg.- move file Familiarity: New users can get familiar with the functionality and interaction style of the application. Consistency: It means through the resultant behavior of the system. Every time system gives the same result on the same set of inputs. Generalizability: It requires specific knowledge of the same domain knowledge. eg.- Cut, Copy, etc. Principles of Flexibility Dialog initiative: All the dialogs are done by a simple request and response system. Multithreading: Single set of code on input can be used by several processes at different stages of execution. Task Migratability: Transfer the execution of the task from the system to the user and decide who is better. eg.- Spell Checker Substitutivity: It allows equivalent values of input and output to be substituted with each other. eg.- Percentages and Grades Customizability: It supports the modifiability of the user interface by a user (adaptability) or system (adaptivity). Principles of Robustness Observability: The user should be able to evaluate the internal features of a system and give proper feedback. Responsiveness: Real system feedbacks on the user’s action. Recoverability: To fix and solve errors and get the correct actions. Task Conformance: The system supports all the requirements of the user and how the user interacts with them. 5 quality components of Usability 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 reestablish 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?  There are many other important quality attributes. A key one is utility, which refers to the design's functionality: Does it do what users need? Usability and utility are equally important and together determine whether something is useful: It matters little that something is easy if it's not what you want. It's also no good if the system can hypothetically do what you want, but you can't make it happen because the user interface is too difficult. To study a design's utility, you can use the same user research methods that improve usability. Definition of Utility = whether it provides the features you need. Definition of Usability = how easy & pleasant these features are to use. Definition of Useful = usability + utility. Why Usability Is Important On the Web, usability is a necessary condition for survival. If a website is difficult to use, people leave. If the homepage fails to clearly state what a company offers and what users can do on the site, people leave. If users get lost on a website, they leave. If a website's information is hard to read or doesn't answer users' key questions, they leave. Note a pattern here? There's no such thing as a user reading a website manual or otherwise spending much time trying to figure out an interface. There are plenty of other websites available; leaving is the first line of defense when users encounter a difficulty.  For intranets, usability is a matter of employee productivity. Time users waste being lost on your intranet or pondering difficult instructions is money you waste by paying them to be at work without getting work done. Current best practices call for spending about 10% of a design project's budget on usability. On average, this will more than double a website's desired quality metrics (yielding an improvement score of 2.6) and slightly less than double an intranet's quality metrics. For software and physical products, the improvements are typically smaller — but still substantial — when you emphasize usability in the design process.  For internal design projects, think of doubling usability as cutting training budgets in half and doubling the number of transactions employees perform per hour. For external designs, think of doubling sales, doubling the number of registered users or customer leads, or doubling whatever other KPI (key performance indicator) motivated your design project. How to Improve Usability There are many methods for studying usability, but the most basic and useful is user testing, which has 3 components: Get hold of some representative users, such as customers for an ecommerce site or employees for an intranet (in the latter case, they should work outside your department). Ask the users to perform representative tasks with the design. Observe what the users do, where they succeed, and where they have difficulties with the user interface. Shut up and let the users do the talking.  It's important to test users individually and let them solve any problems on their own. If you help them or direct their attention to any particular part of the screen, you have contaminated the test results. To identify a design's most important usability problems, testing 5 users is typically enough. Rather than run a big, expensive study, it's a better use of resources to run many small tests and revise the design between each one so you can fix the usability flaws as you identify them. Iterative design is the best way to increase the quality of user experience. The more versions and interface ideas you test with users, the better. User testing is different from focus groups, which are a poor way of evaluating design usability. Focus groups have a place in market research, but to evaluate interaction designs you must closely observe individual users as they perform tasks with the user interface. Listening to what people say is misleading: you have to When to Work on Usability Usability plays a role in each stage of the design process. The resulting need for multiple studies is one reason I recommend making individual studies fast and cheap. Here are the main steps: 1. Before starting the new design, test the old design to identify the good parts that you should keep or emphasize, and the bad parts that give users trouble. 2. Unless you're working on an intranet, test your competitors' designs to get cheap data on a range of alternative interfaces that have similar features to your own. (If you work on an intranet, read the intranet design annual to learn from other designs.) 3. Conduct a field study to see how users behave in their natural habitat. 4. Make paper prototypes of one or more new design ideas and test them. The less time you invest in these design ideas the better, because you'll need to change them all based on the test results. 5. Refine the design ideas that test best through multiple iterations, gradually moving from low-fidelity prototyping to high-fidelity representations that run on the computer. Test each iteration. 6. Inspect the design relative to established usability guidelines whether from your own earlier studies or published research. 7. Once you decide on and implement the final design, test it again. Subtle usability problems always creep in during implementation. Don't defer user testing until you have a fully implemented design. If you do, it will be impossible to fix the vast majority of the critical usability problems that the test uncovers. Many of these problems are likely to be structural, and fixing them would require major rearchitecting. The only way to a high-quality user experience is to start user testing early in the design process and to keep testing every step of the way.