Unit-1

Importance of HCI
Why HCI In the past, computers were expensive & used by technical people
only Now, computers are cheap and used by non-technical people (different
backgrounds, needs, knowledge, skills) Now everything is web-based. People
use computers for almost everything Computer and software manufacturers,
Web-Developers, Games developers have noticed the importance of making
computers/software/webpages/games “user-friendly”: easy to use, save people
time, and to be the best in the competition.
 HCI Scope
Use & Context: Find application areas for computers Human: Study psychological
& physiological aspects e.g., study how a user learns to use a new product, study
human typing speed Computer: Hardware & software offered e.g., input & output
devices, speed, interaction styles, computer graphics Development: Design,
implementation & evaluation.
DEFINITION OF HCI
Human computer interaction is characterized as a dialogue or interchange b/w the
human and the computer because the output of one serves as the input for the
other in an exchange of action and intentions.
Or
HCI is the study of interaction b/w people and computers.
 HCI Goals
At physical level, HCI concerns the selection of the most appropriate input devices and output
devices for a particular interface or task • Determine the best style of interaction, such as direct
manipulation, natural language (speech, written input), WIMP (windows, icons, menus,
pointers), etc. • Develop or improve
• Safety
• Utility
• Effectiveness
• Efficiency
• Usability
• Appeal
 HCI Benefits
Gaining Market share:
People intend to buy/use products with higher usability
e.g., Google’s search engine has the largest market share because it is easy to use with higher
efficiency
Improving productivity:
Employees in a company perform their jobs in a faster manner

Goals of HCI
1. Understanding the factors that determine how people use technology.
2. To develop tools and techniques from which suitable systems can be created.
3. To achieve efficient, effective and safe interaction.
 USE AND PURPOSE OF HCI
Today we also use Smartphone and Laptop, HCI is used in all of them, this Human Computer
Interface has
been made so easy to use and easy to learn, that even a child can use Smartphone and Laptop,
Its purpose is that as much as possible Smartphone, Tablet, Computer and Laptop can be made
user friendly.
That is, this technology is completely made for the user and the user is its centre point.
 HCI and software Engineering
Software engineering (SE) and human-computer interaction (HCI) are both
relatively new disciplines of computer science. SE is concerned with methods and
tools for general software development based on engineering principles. This
discipline has its roots not only in computer science but also in a number of
traditional engineering disciplines. HCI is concerned with methods and tools for
the development of human-computer interfaces, assessing the usability of computer
systems and with broader issues about how people interact with computers. It is
based on theories about how humans process information and interact with
computers, other objects and other people in the organizational and social contexts
in which computers are used. HCI draws on knowledge and skills from
psychology, anthropology and sociology in addition to computer science.
 GUI Design & Aesthetics
Graphic User Interface (GUI) is the interface from where a user can operate programs,
applications or devices in a computer system. This is where the icons, menus, widgets, labels
exist for the users to access. It is significant that everything in the GUI is arranged in a way that
is recognizable and pleasing to the eye, which shows the aesthetic sense of the GUI designer.
GUI aesthetics provides a character and identity to any product. Users interact with visual
representations on digital control panels. A computer’s desktop is a GUI.A graphical user
interface (GUI) is an interface, or interactive system, that allows professionals to accomplish
tasks on their computers through images and icons, rather than text command systems. Graphical
user interfaces appear in computers, tablet devices and mobile devices.
Aesthetics in HCI can be the common interest that involves both art and technology in HCI
research to facilitate from each others discipline in the form of mutual interaction.
 PROTOTYPING TECHNIQUES
Prototypes are experimental and incomplete designs which are cheaply and fast developed. Prototyping, which is the process of
developing prototypes, is an integral part of iterative usercantered design because it enables designers to try out their ideas with
users and to gather feedback. The main purpose of prototyping is to involve the users in testing design ideas and get their
feedback in the early stage of development, thus to reduce the time and cost. It provides an efficient and effective way to refine
and optimize interfaces through
discussion, exploration, testing and iterative revision. Early evaluation can be based on faster and cheaper prototypes before the
start of a full-scale implementation. The prototypes can be changed many times until a better understanding of the user interface
design has been achieved with the joint efforts of both the designers and the users
Representation of conceptual design for users (and designers, and other stakeholders) to
interact
with Prototypes take many forms: Cardboard, foam, software, video, clay, paper, hidden
people,
website, sketches, scripts, indexcards etc.
Fidelity refers to the level of detail and functionality you include in your prototype. Usually,
this
will depend on your product’s development stage. You can construct one that gives a wide
view of
Low-fidelity
Example: Paper prototypes
Pros: Fast and cheap; disposable; easy to make changes and test new iterations; allow a quick
High-fidelity
Example: Digital prototypes created on software such as Sketch or Adobe XD
INTERACTIVE SYSTEM DESIGN

The Waterfall Method

 Usability
Usability refers to the quality of a user's experience when interacting with products or systems, including
websites, software, devices, or applications. Usability is about effectiveness, efficiency and the overall
satisfaction of the user.
Usability is a measure of how well a specific user in a specific context can use a product/design to achieve a
defined goal effectively, efficiently and satisfactorily. Designers usually measure a design’s usability throughout
the development process—from wireframes to the final deliverable—to ensure maximum usability.
“Usability is about human behaviour. It recognizes that humans are lazy, get emotional, are
not interested in putting a lot of effort into, say, getting a credit card and generally prefer
things that are easy to do vs. those that are hard to do.
Usability and HCI are becoming core aspects of the system development process to improve
and enhance system facilities and to satisfy users’ needs and necessities. HCI will assist
designers, analysts and users to identify the system needs from text style, fonts, layout,
graphics and color, while usability will confirm if the system is efficient, effective, safe, utility,
easy to learn, easy to remember, easy to use and to evaluate, practical visible and provide job
satisfaction to the users.
Usability is defined by 5 quality components:
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?
Product Is Considered As A Usability Design
Efficiency- the degree that users can finish a particular task
and achieve a specific goal correctly
and completely in a short time;
Satisfaction — User’s subjective satisfaction and acceptance
degree in the process of using a
product.
A site with good usability has to follow these factors: fast
connection, well designed, completely
description and testing, simple operations, friendly and
meaningful information interaction, unique
style.