Human Computerinteraction: Comsats University Islamabad, Wah Campus

Lecture 1
Human ComputerInteraction
COMSATS UNIVERSITY ISLAMABAD, WAH CAMPUS
Consultation
Office:
Faculty Hall, Computer Science Department
Email:
Email: yasmeen.ciit@gmail.com
Course Introduction
Objective:
In last few years there has been an increasing recognition of role played by the
human-computer interaction in the success of a computer system; therefore a
course included in a university’s curriculum can serve this purpose the best. This
course provides an introduction to and overview of the field of human-computer
interaction (HCI) to give students an understanding of how the study of human-
computer interaction affects the design of interactive systems and improves
students awareness of the issues that determine the usability of an interactive
computer system.
Credit Hours: (2,1)

Goals
Implication of human computer interaction

Understand human computer characteristics of HCI
Introduce suitable Usability Heuristics and Principles
Designing user-interfaces through prototyping techniques
Evaluate user-interfaces through Quantitative Evaluation
Books
Course Book:
“Designing Interactive Systems”
by – David Benyon
3rd ed. available in soft form.
Reference Books:
“Human Computer Interaction”
by Allan Dix, 3rd ed.
“Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer
Interaction”
by Shneiderman, 5th ed.
“Interaction Design beyond Human Computer Interaction”
by Rogers, 3rd ed.
5
HCI – A Formal Definition
“Human-Computer Interaction is a discipline concerned with

the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive
computing systems for human use and with the study of
major phenomena surrounding them”
-ACM/IEEE
6
Role of Computers
Computer invasion has started

Traditional notion of computers becoming obsolete
Computers are everywhere
Computers will annoy, infuriate, and even kill
7
Advantages of computers
Help solving complex problems

Increase efficiencies
Make human lives easy and convenient
8
Drawbacks of computer
Unable to understand humans

Infuriate them
And even kill them
9
Examples from CurrentEra
Computer in Alarm Clock

Computer in Camera
Computer in Car
Computer in Warship
Computer in Airplane
10
Computer inAirplane
No indication of wrong fix selection
Communication was precise and exacting while still being
tragically wrong
Not the pilots fault:
• Computer told pilot he was tracking precisely to
the location he had selected
11
Computer Behavior
They tell but do not inform

They may guide with precision but they do not guide where
we want to go
12
So who is to be blamed?
13
Product Features
Every digital device has more features than its manual

counterpart
Every feature has its cost
14
BMW 7 Series with iDrive
BMW 7 Series with iDrive
Flaw: All Electronic Controls In one Knob (Feature Cost…)

◦ climate, entertainment, navigation, car information etc
Takes 15 mins to change a Radio Channel
Fundamental flaw: driver has to take his eyes off the road
Result: Feature Shock
Feature Shock
Hi-tech companies add more feature to improve product

◦But Product becomes complex and complicated to use
Bad process can’t improve product
17
Solution
Understand Nature of Computers and Humans

Human and Computers are two different species
18
Humans
Complex
Intelligent
Animate
Free will
Range of emotions
Make mistakes
19
Computers
Dumb
Unintelligent
Inanimate
Only do what they are told to do
Don’t have emotions
Don’t make mistakes
20
Human ComputerFacts
Software Quality Assurance of human computer interaction

Acceptable levels of quality for software engineers are far
lower than are those for traditional engineering disciplines
21
Reality Check
Is all computer-aided equipment inherently hard to use?
◦No
Computer-based products are NOT hard to use
◦It’s the wrong process
◦It’s the competency
22
Reason
Apartheid
◦Racial segregation; specifically: a policy of segregation
and political and economic discrimination against non-
European groups in the Republic of South Africa
Software Apartheid
◦Institutionalizing obnoxious behavior and obscure
interaction of software-based products by segregating SE
and users
23
HCI and SoftwareEngineering
Software engineering focus on internal workings of software

In HCI we are concerned with external workings of software
24

Human Computerinteraction: Comsats University Islamabad, Wah Campus

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Human Computerinteraction: Comsats University Islamabad, Wah Campus

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Lecture 1

Credit Hours: (2,1)

Implication of human computer interaction

“Human-Computer Interaction is a discipline concerned with

Computer invasion has started

Help solving complex problems

Unable to understand humans

Computer in Alarm Clock

They tell but do not inform

Every digital device has more features than its manual

Flaw: All Electronic Controls In one Knob (Feature Cost…)

Hi-tech companies add more feature to improve product

Understand Nature of Computers and Humans

Software Quality Assurance of human computer interaction

Software engineering focus on internal workings of software

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