HCI

March 7, 2019
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Chapter 1

HCI Introduction

1. Computer are everywhere

(a) Computer invasion has started

Run for your lives—invasion has begun—the computers are invading.

(b) Traditional notion of computer

Traditional notion of computers is no more. Unlike in the early days

of computing, when only highly skilled technical people used com-
puters, nowadays the range of knowledge and experience of different
users is very broad. Computers are no more just on your table.

When computers first appeared on the commercial scene in the 1950s,

they were extremely difficult to use, cumbersome and at times un-
predictable. There were a number of reasons for this;

They were very large and expensive machines, so that by compari-

son human labor (that is, ’people time’) was an inexpensive resource.
They were used only by technical specialists – scientists and engineers
– who were familiar with the intricacies of off-line programming using
punch cards.

(c) Computer are everywhere

Look around yourself how many things are there which have some
kind of computer embedded in them? Think about a minute about
what you use in a typical day; ATM, cell phone, VCR, remote control,
ticketing machine, digital personal organizers, calculator, watch, pho-
tocopier, toaster, bank, air conditioner, broadcasting, satellite, mi-
crowave, medical equipment, factories, companies. . . .the list is end-

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less. Computers are everywhere. We are surrounded by computers.

Now they are part of our everyday life.

(d) Results
As computers are penetrating in our daily life, it has some results.
i. The bright side of this invasion is: Computers are enabling
new discoveries Leading to efficiencies Making our life easy and
convenient

ii. On the not so bright side the result is:

Computers are annoying us
They are infuriating us
They even kill a few of us.

2. Riddles for the Information Age:

What do you get when you cross a computer with an Airplane ?
Computer + Airplane = Computer
What do you get when you cross a computer with an Camera ?
Computer + Camera = Computer
What do you get when you cross a computer with an Alarm Clock ?
Computer + Alarm Clock = Computer
What do you get when you cross a computer with an Car ?
Computer + Car = Computer
What do you get when you cross a computer with an Warship ?
Computer + Warship = Computer

3. Human VS Computer

Human Species

Human beings are the most interesting and fascinating specie on planet.

• They are the most complex living being on the earth.

• It is intelligent in its deeds.
• Human beings think and decide according to their own will.
• They are free in nature. They like freedom.
• They think on a problem dynamically and they can find many solu-
tions that may not exist before.
• They are not only rational but they also have emotions. They also
think emotionally. They act emotionally.
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• And fortunately or unfortunately they make mistakes. They make

mistakes which some time become fatal for them and some time they
become blessing for them.
Computer Species

Computers are the invention of human being.

• They are complex but they are also pretty dumb.

• It can also think but it can’t think on its own will, it thinks how it
has been directed to think.
• No doubt its speed is marvelous. It does not tire.
• It is emotionless. It has no feelings, no desires.
• It works how it has been commanded to work.
• And they do not make mistakes.
4. Once upon a time: Before penetration of computers in our daily life,
human beings were performing their tasks at their on responsibility.
In a business domain human beings were dealing and interacting with each
other’s.
For Example:
A store manager was dealing with all the workers performing their dif-
ferent duties in the store.
Some one was registering the new arrivals of products, some one was num-
bering the products and many more. . . and store manager has to interact
with all these human beings.
If some one was a salesperson, he used to interact with different clients
and used to deal with them according to their mood and desire.
He could judge their mood with their tone,
Their attitude and with their body language.
He could provide answers relevant to their questions.

But now in this age of information technology we are expecting

computers to mimic human behavior e.g. ECommerce systems,
now there is no need for a salesperson. Web sites are behaving
as a salesperson or as a shopping mal. That is now; a dumb,
unintelligent and inanimate object will perform the complex task
which was performed by some human being.
5. Software Engineers and HCI
Human-computer interface specialists are user-centered and software en-
gineers are system-centered.
Software Engineering Software engineering methodologies are useful
for specifying and building the functional aspects of a software sys-
tem.
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HCI Human-computer interfaces emphasize developing a deep under-

standing of user characteristics and a clear awareness of the tasks
a user must perform.

6. Define HCI :

Human-Computer Interaction is a discipline concerned with the design,

evaluation and implementation of interactive computing systems for hu-
man use and with the study of major phenomena surrounding them ”

7. What is HCI:

HUMAN Individual user, a group of user working together, a sequence

of user in an organization
COMPUTER Desktop computer, large scale computer system, pocket
PC, embedded system, software
USER INTERFACE Parts of computer that the user connect with
INTERACTION usually involve a dialog with feedback and control
throughout performing a task

8. Why HCI:

In the past, computers were expensive and used by only technical peo-
ple only
Now, computer are cheap and used by non technical people (differed back-
ground, knowledge, needs, skills) Computer and software manufacturers
notice the importance of making computers ”user friendly” : easy to use,
save people time etc.

9. HCI Goals:

The goals of HCI are to produce usable and safe systems, as well as func-
tional systems. These goals can be summarized as to develop or improve
the:

• Safety

• Utility

• Effectiveness

• Efficiency
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• Usability

• Appeal
of systems that include computers.
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Safety It involves protecting the users from dangerous conditions and undesir-
able situations.
Utility Utility refers to the functionality of a system or, in other words, the
things it can do.
Effectiveness Concern a user’s ability to accomplish a desire goal or to carry
out work.
Efficiency A measure of how quickly a users can accomplish or finish their
work using the system.
Usability Concerned with making systems easy to learn and easy to use.
Appeal How well the user like the system.
10. The field of HCI: