human–computer

interaction

Lecture 2
Topic 1: components of HCI
Learning Outcome:

 The students shall be able to

understand how humans are part of
information processing systems and
ways of interacting with machine.

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Performance criteria:

 1.1 – What is HCI ?

 1.2 – Components of HCI

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Chapter 2: Components of HCI ?

2.1 HCI as Interdisciplinary practice

2.2 Disciplines contributing to HCI
2.3 A Conceptual model for HCI
2.4 Designing HCI

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Aims & Objectives:
 The aim is to examine the multidisciplinary
nature of HCI and to review the process of
HCI. At the end you should be able to ;
 Describe the components of HCI in a way that
informs HCI design
 Assess the contributions of different disciplines to
HCI
 Realize what a mix of skills and disciplines will be
needed in, in terms of HCI, to promote good HCI
design
 Apply an integrated perspective to the design
process.
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2.1 – HCI as interdisciplinary practice:
Factors in HCI (see Preece et al. 1994,p.31)
1. Organisational factors
2. Environmental factors
3. Health and safety factors
4. The user
5. Comfort factors
6. User interface
7. Task factors
8. Constraints
9. System functionality
10. Productivity factors
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2.2 – disciplines contributing
to hci :
Major areas Other areas
 Computer science Linguistics
 Cognitive Artificial intelligence
Psychology Philosophy, Sociology,
 Social and
Anthropology
Engineering and Design
organization
psychology
 Ergonomics or
human factors
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2.3 – a conceptual model for hci:
 There are four components in this model and
following assumptions are made about them:
 People
 Can mean one or more people
 Work
 Can mean narrowly or broadly defined activities
including tasks or more loosely defined activities.
 The environment
 Refers to the physical, organizational and social
aspects of the environment.
 The technology
 Can be any technological artefact including any kind
of computer or workstation.
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2.4 – designing hci:

 “HCI design is an engineering process of

designing interactive computer systems so
that they are efficient, pleasing, easy to
use and do what people want”

Sutcliffe, 1995, p.2 “Human-Computer Interface Design”, 2 nd edition.

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 2.4 – designing hci: What is Design?
Design refers to
 Process of developing a product
 Various representations of the product that are
produced during the design process
 Preece p.352, states the meaning of design as
“Simulating what we want to make (or do) before we make
(or do) it as many times as may be necessary to feel
confident in the final result” - Jones 1981,p.8

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2.4 – designing hci:
Fundamentals
 The designer/s must
 understand the requirements of the product
- look at similar products
- discuss user needs with users
- discover problems with current designs

 develop the product

- produce a variety of representations until suitable
model/prototype is produced

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 2.4 – designing hci: software Engineering
Design

 Traditional view of software engineering

- linear approach: Waterfall model
- utilises validation,verification and testing at end of each
stage

 Spiral model (Boehm 1988)

- several iterations of analysis, design and implementation

 W model (Harrison, 1992)

- Two iterations only

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2.4 – designing hci : software Engineering
Design – Waterfall model :

Requirements
analysis and
definition
System and
software
design

Development
(programming)
and testing

Integration and
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system testing 13
2.4 – designing hci : process

 Not waterfall model

 Involves users:
 user-centred design from the start
 Integrates different kinds of knowledge
and expertise
 (see Preece et al. 1994, p. 48)
 Design process is highly Iterative
 testing throughout: see star life cycle
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2.4 – designing hci : Star
Model/Life Cycle (1993)

Implementation Task Analysis

Requirements
Prototyping Evaluation Specification

Conceptual design/
formal design
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2.4 – designing hci : design
process

 6 design steps
 Conceptual design/ formal design
 Requirements specification
 User analysis
 Task analysis
 Design and Prototyping
 Implementation
 Evaluation

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summary
 HCI is concerned with designing computer
systems to match the needs of people.
 HCI draws from the knowledge and methods
of many different disciplines chiefly computer
science, cognitive psychology, social science
and ergonomics or human factors.
 Computer science provides knowledge about
technology and a wide assortment of software
tools and methods for facilitating design and
development.
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Summary (cont…)
 HCI can be viewed as a model in which
people, activities, technology and the
environment are closely interrelated.
 HCI design should be user-centred, integrate
knowledge from different disciplines and be
highly iterative.
 Evaluation forms the focal point in the star
model of design, which assumes that design
calls upon a variety of knowledge and
methods when necessary.
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End of Lecture 2