Module 1: Introduction to Human-Computer
Interaction (HCI)
Module Learning Objectives
By the end of this module, students will be able to:
1. Define Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and explain its scope and importance.
2. Trace the historical development of HCI and its interdisciplinary roots.
3. Explain the transition from cabal to community in HCI’s evolution.
4. Identify key developments beyond the desktop era.
5. Understand and illustrate the task-artifact cycle in design.
6. Describe the “caldron of theory” in HCI and its influence on design decisions.
7. Apply HCI principles to evaluate or improve a simple interactive system.
1. What is Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)?
Learning Objective:
Define HCI and explain its significance in technology design.
HCI is the study and practice of how humans interact with computers and other digital systems.
It combines computer science, psychology, design, and ergonomics to create systems that are
efficient, effective, and satisfying to use.
The importance of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) can be understood in terms of its
impact on technology design, user satisfaction, and overall system effectiveness:
Page 1 of 14
1. Improves Usability
Ensures that systems are easy to learn, use, and navigate.
Reduces user errors and frustration.
Example: A banking app with clear menus and instructions helps users complete
transactions quickly.
2. Enhances User Experience (UX)
Makes interactions more engaging, enjoyable, and satisfying.
Builds positive emotional connections between users and technology.
Example: A streaming service with personalized recommendations keeps users engaged.
3. Increases Productivity
Well-designed systems help users complete tasks faster and more accurately.
Reduces the cognitive load, allowing users to focus on their goals.
Example: Office software with keyboard shortcuts and intuitive tool layouts.
4. Supports Accessibility & Inclusion
Ensures technology can be used by people with different abilities, ages, and cultural
backgrounds.
Example: Screen readers for visually impaired users, captions for videos.
5. Drives Innovation
Informs the creation of new interaction methods like touchscreens, gesture controls, and
voice assistants.
Encourages experimentation with emerging technologies such as AR/VR.
6. Reduces Costs
Designing with HCI principles early on reduces the need for costly fixes later.
Minimizes training costs by making systems intuitive.
Illustration Idea:
A diagram showing User ↔ Interface ↔ Computer, with feedback loops.
Page 2 of 14
Example:
Designing a smartphone app interface so users can quickly order food without confusion.
ATM machines providing intuitive touch-screen navigation.
Page 3 of 14
2. Where HCI Came From
Learning Objective:
Trace the history and origins of HCI.
HCI originated in the 1980s when computers became more personal and widespread. It grew out
of multiple fields:
HCI (Human–Computer Interaction) as a formal discipline took shape in the early 1980s, largely
because of two big shifts:
1. Computers became personal – Before this, computers were massive, expensive
machines used mainly by specialists. But the rise of the personal computer (PC)
brought them into offices, schools, and homes.
2. Broader user base – Instead of trained operators, everyday people started using
computers for work, learning, and play. This created a need for systems that were easier,
friendlier, and more intuitive to use.
Human Factors Engineering (design for safety and usability)
Page 4 of 14
Cognitive Psychology (how people think and process information)
Computer Science (software/hardware development)
Illustration Idea:
A timeline from Mainframes → Personal Computers → Mobile Devices → Wearables.
Example:
Page 5 of 14
Early research on how pilots interact with cockpit controls influenced early computer
interface design.
3. From Cabal to Community
Learning Objective:
Describe the shift from small expert groups to a global HCI community.
Initially, HCI was dominated by a small “cabal” of specialists (research labs, universities,
government projects). Over time, it expanded to include designers, developers, and everyday
users contributing ideas.
Illustration Idea:
Two circles — one small with few people (cabal), another large with diverse icons (community).
Example:
Open-source UI design guidelines shared on GitHub.
Worldwide UX conferences with thousands of attendees.
Page 6 of 14
4. Beyond the Desktop
Learning Objective:
Identify technologies that moved HCI beyond traditional desktop computing.
HCI no longer focuses only on PCs; it now includes mobile devices, wearables, AR/VR, voice
assistants, IoT devices. The focus is on ubiquitous computing — interaction anytime,
anywhere.
The importance of HCI expanding beyond PCs to mobile devices, wearables, AR/VR, voice
assistants, and IoT lies in how it transforms the way humans live, work, and connect with
technology.
1. Technology Fits People’s Lives, Not the Other Way Around
In the PC era, people had to go to a desk to use technology.
Now, with ubiquitous computing, technology goes where people are — in their pockets,
on their wrists, in their homes, even in their cars.
This makes interaction more natural, timely, and relevant.
2. Supports Different Contexts and Needs
Mobile devices help in quick, on-the-go decision-making.
Wearables track health and fitness in real time.
Page 7 of 14
AR/VR enables immersive learning, gaming, and remote collaboration.
Voice assistants help people with disabilities or when hands are busy.
IoT automates homes, offices, and industries for efficiency.
This variety ensures technology adapts to people’s environments and activities.
3. Greater Accessibility & Inclusion
People who cannot use traditional screens (e.g., due to visual impairment) can now
interact via voice or haptic feedback.
Wearables and IoT devices provide new ways for older adults, children, and differently-
abled users to benefit from tech.
4. Seamless, Continuous Interaction
A task can start on one device and continue on another (e.g., start reading an article on a
phone, finish on a VR headset).
This allows fluid, cross-device experiences without disruption.
5. Integration into Everyday Life
Technology becomes invisible but impactful — like a smart fridge ordering groceries,
or a wearable warning of irregular heartbeats.
This reduces effort for the user while increasing usefulness.
An image showing desktop, smartphone, smartwatch, VR headset, smart home device.
Example:
Smart refrigerators that track groceries and suggest recipes.
AR apps that overlay directions on real-world streets.
Page 8 of 14
5. The Task–Artifact Cycle
Learning Objective:
Explain how user tasks and artifacts co-evolve.
The Task–Artifact Cycle describes how tasks lead to the creation of artifacts (tools/interfaces),
and how these artifacts change the way tasks are performed — often leading to new tasks.
The Task–Artifact Cycle is important to humans because it shows how people and technology
co-evolve — shaping each other over time.
Why It Matters to Humans
1. Better Tools for Real Needs
Tasks humans want to accomplish (e.g., sending messages faster) inspire the creation of
artifacts (e.g., smartphones, messaging apps).
This ensures technology is designed with human goals in mind, not just for novelty.
2. Evolving How We Work and Live
Page 9 of 14
Once a new artifact exists, it changes how tasks are done — often making them faster,
easier, or more creative.
Example: The printing press didn’t just make copying books easier; it led to mass
education and scientific revolutions.
3. Creation of New Possibilities
New tools often create entirely new tasks that didn’t exist before.
Example: The internet wasn’t just for research — it led to social media, online shopping,
telemedicine, and remote work.
4. Continuous Human–Technology Improvement
As humans adapt to tools, they discover limitations, which drives further innovation and
refinement.
This keeps technology relevant and aligned with changing human needs.
5. Empowerment & Capability Growth
Each cycle can expand human capabilities — enabling us to achieve more with less
effort.
Example: GPS didn’t just replace maps; it made real-time navigation, location-based
services, and ride-sharing apps possible.
Illustration Idea:
Circular diagram: Task → Artifact → Modified Task → New Artifact → ...
Example:
Email (artifact) changed how people communicate (task) → led to instant messaging apps
→ changed tasks again (faster, shorter communication).
Page 10 of 14
6. A Caldron of Theory
Learning Objective:
Recognize the variety of theories influencing HCI design.
HCI draws on theories from psychology (memory limits), design (visual hierarchy),
linguistics (dialogue models), and sociology (collaboration patterns). Like a caldron, different
ingredients blend to guide design choices.
The “cauldron” metaphor in HCI means that ideas from multiple disciplines mix together to
create better technology designs.
Its importance lies in the fact that:
1. Holistic Design Perspective – No single field can fully explain how people interact with
technology. Psychology explains memory and attention limits, design gives us visual
hierarchy and aesthetics, linguistics helps with dialogue and commands, and sociology
provides insight into collaboration and cultural context.
2. User-Centered Decision Making – By blending these theories, designers can make
informed choices that match real human needs, abilities, and social behaviors — leading
to more intuitive, inclusive, and engaging interfaces.
3. Problem-Solving Synergy – Combining insights (e.g., cognitive load from psychology
with layout principles from design) creates solutions that are more effective than relying
on one perspective alone.
4. Adaptability to New Technologies – As devices and interaction styles evolve (e.g.,
AR/VR, voice assistants, IoT), the “cauldron” approach allows designers to flexibly
apply relevant theories to new contexts.
Illustration Idea:
A pot labeled “HCI” with ingredients: Psychology, Design, Sociology, Linguistics, Ergonomics.
Example:
Applying Fitts’ Law from psychology to determine optimal button size on a touchscreen.
Page 11 of 14
Module Summary
HCI focuses on the relationship between people and technology.
It evolved from specialized computing to widespread, everyday interactions.
New devices and theories continue to shape the field.
Module 1: Introduction to Human–Computer Interaction
Quiz
Multiple Choice (10 questions)
1. Human–Computer Interaction (HCI) focuses on:
a) Manufacturing computer hardware
b) Designing effective interactions between people and computers
c) Writing programming languages
d) Maintaining computer networks
2. Which combination of fields contributed most to the development of HCI?
a) Biology, chemistry, physics
b) Computer science, cognitive psychology, industrial design
c) Literature, history, linguistics
d) Sociology, archaeology, anthropology
3. The introduction of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) in personal computing happened in:
a) 1960s
b) 1970s
c) 1980s
d) 2000s
4. "From Cabal to Community" describes:
a) Moving from wired to wireless computing
b) The growth from small expert groups to a large, diverse HCI community
Page 12 of 14
c) The shift from software to hardware design
d) The transition from desktops to mobile devices
5. Which is not an example of “Beyond the Desktop” computing?
a) Virtual reality headset
b) Smartwatch
c) Voice-controlled smart speaker
d) Desktop spreadsheet application
6. The task–artifact cycle suggests that:
a) Technology remains static after being developed
b) Tools created for a task can change the task, leading to new needs and tools
c) Artifacts are physical hardware only
d) Tasks never change over time
7. Which HCI theory focuses on not overwhelming users with too much information?
a) Distributed cognition
b) Cognitive load theory
c) Activity theory
d) Situated action
8. Which is an example of distributed cognition?
a) A single person memorizing all their passwords
b) A team using a shared project management app to coordinate work
c) A student reading a textbook silently
d) A programmer writing code without reference materials
9. The “Caldron of Theory” in HCI refers to:
a) Heated debates among computer scientists
b) A mix of theories from various disciplines shaping HCI
c) The boiling point of new innovations
d) The process of removing outdated theories
10. The ACM SIGCHI conference is an example of:
a) The original cabal of HCI researchers
b) A modern, global HCI research community
c) A hardware design competition
d) A computer programming bootcamp
Identification (5 questions)
11. The interdisciplinary field that studies and designs how humans interact with technology.
12. The early, small, expert group of researchers in the HCI field before it grew into a large,
diverse community.
Page 13 of 14
13. The stage of HCI where interaction extends beyond desktop computers to mobile, wearable,
and immersive systems.
14. The process where a created tool changes how a task is performed, which in turn creates new
needs and new tools.
15. The idea that HCI is shaped by multiple theories from fields such as psychology, design, and
computer science.
Page 14 of 14
