Document 3
Document 3
Document 3
1. Explain two disciplines that have immensely contributed to development of HCI [4marks]
Cognitive psychology
Ergonomics or human factors define and design tools and various artifacts or different work,
leisure and domestic environments specifically to suit the capacities and capabilities of users To
maximize an operator’s safety, efficiency and reliability of performance, to make a task easier
and to increase feelings of comfort and satisfaction, users are not homogeneous, either in the
terms of their personal characteristics or their requirement.
Ergonomics
define and design tools and various artifacts for different work, leisure and domestic
environments specifically to suit the capacities and capabilities of users.
Socialogy
studying the nature and causes of human behavior in a social context to inform designers about
social and organizational structures and about how the introduction of computers will influence
working practices. Provide knowledge about context of use. Explain how people work together
and what sort of computer systems are needed to support collaborate working.
Computer science
For application design and engineering. Including graphics, technology, prototyping tools, user
interface management systems.
Linguistics
natural language interfaces.
2. Trying to satisfy the needs of all users may mean that you fail to satisfy the needs of any one
user. Qualify this statement in relation to the design of the user interface and state why the User-
centered approach is important in HCI [5marks]
User-centered design has a human bias in its DNA. By beginning with humans, their hopes,
fears, and needs, the designers tend to discover what’s most desirable. But that’s only one lens
through which we glance at our solutions. Once the designers have determined the solutions for
the target community, it is time for technical expertise. Also, they need to figure out the way to
make the solution financially viable. Finding balance is completely crucial to designing solutions
that are successful and sustainable.
3. Study the image below and answer the questions:
a. Outline any three tasks that this device can assist you to perform [5marks]
Communication
Mobile phones provide the means to communicate with friends, family, coworkers, and indeed
most of the world's population instantly. Unlike previous communication devices, they can be on
hand for the caller at all times and used in any place where there is a signal.
Texting
Text messaging (also known as texting) enables people to communicate with short written
messages. Originally, phones used SMS technology, allowing the sending of letters, numbers,
and symbols, but more recently, MMS technology has allowed multimedia, such as photos and
videos, to be sent too. Texting is a great way to send someone an important instant message, as
unlike email, people are more likely to read their texts straightaway.
Entertainment
As long as you have your mobile phone, there is no reason to get bored. There is a multitude of
games to download and play; you can read an online article or get involved with social media to
pass the time. Smartphones allow video watching, as well as listening to radio, podcasts, or
music. Plus, if you attend a real-life event, you can often store your ticket on your phone to
display at the door.
b. Discus Affordance and effectiveness of the device in a particular application area [4marks]
To improve the interaction between users and computers by making computers more user-
friendly and receptive to the user's needs
4. How do you think new, fast, high-density memory devices and quick processors have
influenced recent developments in HCI? Do they make systems any easier to use, and do they
expand the range of applications of computer systems? [6marks]
Arguably it is not so much the increase in computer power as the decrease in the cost of that
power which has had the most profound effect. Because, ‘ordinary 'users havThere is an extent to
which systems have to run faster to stay still, in that as screen size, resolution and color range
increase, so does the necessary processing power to maintain the 'same’ interaction. However,
this extra processing is not really producing the same effect, screen quality is still a major block
on effective interaction. The increase in RAM means that larger programs can be written,
effectively allowing the programmer ‘elbow room’. This is used in two ways: to allow extra
functionality and to support easier interaction. Whether the former really improves usability is
debatable unused functionality is a good marketing point, but is of no benefit to the user. The
ease of use of a system is often determined by a host of small features, such as the appropriate
choice of default options.
5. Discuss the relevance of each in HCI development [6marks]
Prototype - The prototype gives the customer a complete idea of how the site will look like in the
final result. Prototyping allows you to streamline the design development process, focusing on
important interface elements. A site’s sketch is an irreplaceable thing if the client still does not
fully understand what he expects from the site, what functions each page will carry. Careful
planning at the prototyping stage makes it possible to avoid global changes in the finished layout.
Design - The goal of user interface design is to make the user's interaction as simple and efficient
as possible, in terms of accomplishing user goals (user-centered design).
Evaluate -
Aim of evaluation is to test the functionality and usability of the design and to identify and
rectify any problems. A design can be evaluated before any implementation work has started, to
minimize the cost of early design errors. Query techniques provide subjective information from
the user.