Unit-I

Foundations of Human–Computer Interaction

What is HCI – design, models, evaluation, Need to understand people,

computers and methods.
Basic human abilities - vision, hearing, touch, memory.
Computers – speed, interfaces, widgets, and effects on interaction.
Humans – Memory, Attention Span, Visual Perception, psychology,
ergonomics.
Understanding Users.
Methods for evaluation of interfaces with users: goals of evaluation,
approaches, ethics, introspection, extracting the conceptual model,
direct observation, constructive interaction, interviews and
questionnaires, continuous evaluation via user feedback and field
studies, choosing an evaluation method.
What is Human Computer
Interaction (HCI)?
HCI (human-computer
interaction) is the study of how
people interact with computers
and to what extent computers
are or are not developed for
successful interaction with
human beings.

As its name implies, HCI consists

of three parts: the user, the
computer itself, and the ways
they work together.
 What is Human Computer Interaction
(HCI)? Cont…
The term HCI was adopted in mid-1980s:

Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) : “discipline concerned

with the design, evaluation & implementation of interactive computer
systems for human use & with the study of major phenomena
surrounding them” (1992)

Dix: “HCI is study of people, computer technology and the ways these
influence each other . We study HCI to determine how we can make
this computer technology more usable by people” (1998)

Carroll: “HCI is the study and practice of usability. It is about

understanding and creating software and other technology that people
will want to use, will be able to use, and will find effective when used.
” (2002)
What is Human Computer Interaction
(HCI)? Cont…
Human:
Individual user , a group of users working together , a sequence of users in an
organization

Computer:
Desktop computer , large-scale computer system, Pocket PC, embedded system
(e.g. , photocopier , microwave oven) , software (e.g. , search engine, word
processor )

User interface:
Parts of the computer that the user contacts with.

Interaction:
Usually involve a dialog with feedback &
control throughout performing a task
(e.g. , user invokes “print ” command and
then inter face replies with a dialog box)
 What is Human Computer Interaction
(HCI)? Cont…
How Human interacts with Computer :
- Not primarily the study of Human
- Not primarily the study of Computer
- The study of bridge between them, which includes

• Observation of interactions between people &

computers,

• Analysis of the involved interactions,

e.g. , Are all the steps involved are necessary?

• Human consequences after interacting with

computers,
e.g. , Can the user perform his task? Does he enjoy
working with
Human Computer Interaction (HCI) is
an
Interdisciplinary field
 Human Computer Interaction (HCI)
Study of interaction between Human and Computer to
design Human-centred skills, so that there are
principles and methods to create excellent interfaces with any
technology

•It is the hottest topic among it professionals of today

•Serious research in this area has just begun which promises of

fundamentally changing computing

•Spectacular growth of world wide web is the direct result of HCI

research

•HCI would play a leading role in the creation of tomorrow's

exciting new user interface software
 Human Computer Interaction (HCI)

HCI tackles questions concerning how people

interact with computers
• Are computers intuitive or complicated?
• Are computers rewarding or frustrating?
• How can computers be made accessible to everybody
(e.g. different physical abilities, different languages etc.)?
• To what level can computer interaction be standardized?
• Are computers “user-friendly”?
• What does it mean to be “user-friendly”?
 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)

⇒ Computer and software manufacturers have

noticed the
importance of making computers “user -
friendly” :
easy to use, save people time, etc.
HCI Scope
 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

 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
of systems that include computers
 HCI Goals

• Safety: protecting the user from dangerous conditions and

undesirable situations

• Users
• Nuclear energy plant or bomb-disposal – operators should
interact with computer -based systems remotely
• Medical equipment in intensive care unit ( ICU)

• Data
• Prevent user from making serious errors by reducing risk
of wrong keys/
buttons being mistakenly activated
• Provide user with means of recovering errors
• Ensure privacy (protect personal information such as
habits and address) & security (protect sensitive
 HCI Goals

• Utility: extent of providing the right kind of functionality so that

users can do
what they need or want to do

• High utility
• Scientific calculator provides many mathematical
operations, built - in formulae, and is programmable

• Low utility
• Software drawing tool does not allow free-hand drawing
but supports polygon shape drawing

• Effectiveness: concern a user ’s ability to accomplish a

desired goal or to carry out work

Any difference between utility and effectiveness?

 HCI Goals
Consider the scenario:
a shopping Web provides all the information, instruction and
server-side support required to per form an on-line purchase.
However , the users cannot figure out how to find the items
they want to buy.

• Efficiency: a measure of how quickly users can

accomplish their
goals or finish their work using the
system

• Usability: ease of learning and ease of use

• Can I use the basic functions of a new digital
camera without reading the manual?
• Does the software facilitate us to learn new
functions easily?
 HCI Goals

Use Microsoft WORD as an example:

Goals Achieved? Example

Safety Yes Warning for “Exit before Save”

Utility Yes A lot of word processing functions is provided
Effectiveness Yes A science student can edit equations
Efficiency Yes Default template avoids initial document setting
Usability Yes Icons help ease of learning
Appeal Yes Interface is attractive
 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

• e.g. , Workers in a mainland company needed to press a lengthy sequence of

buttons in per forming a task. An IAS student helped to increase their

productivity via writing a batch program for the button pressing operation

• e.g. , Intranet can increase employees’ efficiency

• e.g. , Cafe de Coral uses a business management system (BMS) to increase

productivity, e.g. , food photos are available on cashier display and operators
do not need to memorize food codes, automatic collection of sales
information at all shop saves staffing cost
 HCI Benefits

• Lowering support costs

If the product is not usable, calls to customer support can be enormous
e.g. , I f a washing machine is difficult to use even after reading the
instruction manual, many users will call the customer service and the cost
per call can be over $100

• Reducing development cost

Avoid implementing features users don’t want and creating features that are
annoying or inefficient

e.g. , I f there are too many unnecessary confirmation dialog boxes in using a
word processor , it is likely this product needs to be redeveloped
Human Computer Interaction
(HCI) has three components

1.Human
2.Computer
3.Interaction

The goal of HCI is to improve the

interaction between users and
computers by making computers
more user-friendly and receptive to
the user's needs.
 Human
•Humans are limited in their capacity to process information.
This has important implications for design.

•Information is received and responses given via a number of input and output channels:
• visual channel
• auditory channel
• haptic channel (relating to the sense of touch)
• Movement
•Information is stored in memory:
• sensory memory
(An example of this form of memory is when a person sees an object briefly before it disappears. Once the object is
gone, it is still retained in the memory for a very short period of time. The two most studied types of sensory
memory are iconic memory (visual) and echoic memory (sound))
• short-term (working) memory
• long-term memory

•Information is processed and applied:

• reasoning
• problem solving
• skill acquisition
• Error
•Emotion influences human capabilities.
•Users share common capabilities but are individuals with differences, which should
not be ignored.
 Computer
A computer system comprises various elements, each of which affects the
user of the system.

•Input devices for interactive use, allowing text entry, drawing and selection
from the screen:
• text entry: traditional keyboard, phone text entry, speech and
handwriting
• pointing: principally the mouse, but also touchpad, stylus, and others
• 3D interaction devices

•Output display devices for interactive use:

• different types of screen mostly using some form of bitmap display
• large displays and situated displays for shared and public use
• digital paper may be usable in the near future

•Virtual reality systems and 3D visualization have special interaction and

display devices.
 Computer

• Various devices in the physical world:

• physical controls and dedicated displays
• sound, smell and haptic feedback
• sensors for nearly everything including movement, temperature, bio-signs

• Paper output and input: the paperless office and the less-paper office:
• different types of printers and their characteristics, character styles and fonts
• scanners and optical character recognition

• Memory:
• short-term memory: RAM
• long-term memory: magnetic and optical disks
• capacity limitations related to document and video storage
• access methods as they limit or help the user

• Processing:
• the effects when systems run too slow or too fast, the myth of the infinitely fast machine
• limitations on processing speed
• networks and their impact on system performance.
 Factors Affecting HCI
There are large number of factors which should be considered in the analysis and design of a
system using HCI principles.
The main factors are listed in table below:
1. Organization Factors: Training, job design, politics, roles, work Organization

2. Environmental Factors : Noise, heating, lighting, Ventilation

3. The User: Cognitive processes and capabilities, Motivation, enjoyment, satisfaction,

personality, experience
4. Comfort Factors: Seating, equipment, layout.

5. User Interface: Input devices, output devices, dialogue structures, use of colour, icons,
commands, navigation, graphics, natural language, user support, multimedia

6. Task Factors: Easy, complex, novel, task allocation, monitoring, skills

7. Constraints: Cost, timescales, budgets, staff, equipment, buildings

8. System Functionality: Hardware, software, application

9. Productivity Factors: Increase output, increase quality, decrease costs, decrease errors,
increase innovation
 HCI principles
1. Know Thy User:
This principle simply states that the interaction and interface should cater to the needs and
capabilities of the target user of the system in design. HCI designers and implementers proceed with
a full understanding of the user.
2. Understand the Task:
Task refers to the job to be accomplished by the user through the use of the interactive system. In
fact. understanding the task at hand is closely related to the interaction modeling and user analysis.
3. Reduce Memory Load:
Designing interaction with as little memory load as possible is a principle that also has a theoretical
basis. Humans are certainly more efficient in carrying out tasks that require less memory burden,
long or short term. Keeping the user's short-term memory load light is of particular importance
with regard to the interface's role as a quick and easy guidance to the completion of the task.
4. Strive for Consistency:
In the longer term, one way to unburden the memory load is to keep consistency. This applies to
both within an application and across different applications and both the interaction model and
interface implementation
5. Remind user And Refresh their Memory:
Any significant task will involve the use of memory, so another good strategy is to employ interfaces
that give continuous reminders of important information and thereby refresh the user's memory.
The human memory dissipates information quite quickly, and this is especially true when switching
tasks in multitasking situations.
6. Prevent Errors / Reversal of Action :
While supporting a quick completion of the task is important, error free operation is equally
important. As such, the interaction and interface should be designed to avoid confusion and mental
overload.
of senses which plays an Important role i
There are five senses : Sight Sound, Touch, Taste and Smell.
• Sight is the predominant sense for the majority of people, and most interactive
systems consequently use the visual channel as their primary means of
presentation, through graphics, text, video and animation.
• However, sound is also an important channel, keeping us aware of our
surroundings, monitoring people and events around us, reacting to sudden
noises, providing clues and cues that switch our attention from one thing to
another. It can also have an emotional effect on us, particularly in the case of
music. Music is almost completely an auditory experience, yet is able to alter
moods, conjure up visual images, evoke atmospheres or scenes in the mind of
the listener.
• Touch, too, provides important information : tactile feedback forms an intrinsic
part of the operation of many common tools — cars, musical instruments, pens,
anything that requires holding or moving. It can form a sensuous bond between
individuals, communicating a wealth of non-verbal information.
• Taste and smell are often less appreciated but they also provide useful
information in daily life: checking if food is bad, detecting early signs of fire,
noticing that manure has been spread in a field.
 Human Input-Output Channels

• Human Interaction with the out side world occurs

through information being received and sent is
called input-output channel.
• Human input-output channels
• Vision
• Hearing (20 Hz To 15 Hz)
• Touch
• Movement etc.
 Roles of Senses

• Senses plays important role in HCI

• There are Five Senses
• 1. Sight (Most interactive system)
• 2. Sound
• 3. Touch
• 4. Taste
• 5. Smell
 Human Memory
• Human Being have both short term and long term
memory capacities and we have create better designs by
understanding how memory works and how we can work
with that capacity rather than against it.
• Collection of systems for the storage and recall of
information (Personal experience, emotions, facts,
procedures, skills and habits).
• Structure of Memory

Rehearsal
Attention
Environment Sensory Short Term Long Term
input Memory Memory Memory
Retrival

Recall Rehearsal
loop

Fig. Structure of Memory

 Human Memory
• There are 3 types of memory or Memory Functions:

1.Sensory buffers : Act as a kind of buffer

• Buffers for stimuli received through senses

• iconic memory: visual stimuli
• echoic memory: aural stimuli
• haptic memory: tactile stimuli
• Examples
• “sparkler” trail
• stereo sound
• Continuously overwritten

2. Short term Memory: Act as a kind of “Scratch Pad”

3. Long Term Memory :

two types : 1. Episodic Memory,
2. Semantic Memory

When we recall specific events or experiences that we have had in our lives, we are using
episodic memory.
Episodic memory consists of personal facts and experience,
while semantic memory consists of general facts and knowledge.
For example, knowing that football is a sport is an example of semantic memory.
 Human Memory
• There are 3 types of memory or Memory Functions:

1.Sensory buffers : Act as a kind of buffer

2. Short term Memory: Act as a kind of “Scratch Pad”

3. Long Term Memory :

two types : 1. Episodic Memory,
2. Semantic Memory

When we recall specific events or experiences that we have had in our lives, we
are using episodic memory.
Episodic memory consists of personal facts and experience,
while semantic memory consists of general facts and knowledge.
For example, knowing that football is a sport is an example of semantic memory.
 Human Memory
Short Term Memory Long Term Memory
Capacity is Limited Capacity is More
Information is store for shorter time Information is store for Longer time

Information is usually stored in short In long term memory, information is

term memory in terms of the physical primarily stored in terms of its
qualities of the experience, such as meaning or semantic codes
what we see, do, taste, touch or hear

STM is stored and retrieved LTM is stored and retrieved by

sequentially association

STM is utilized to retain information LTM is utilized more or less at all times
Suggest ideas
for an
interface
which uses the
properties of
sound
effectively
• Attention
• Status information
• Confirmation
• Navigation