Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
Introduction to HCI – Part 2
People are DIVERSE
• Physically (hand size, height, strength, coordination,
disabilities)
• Effects of age
• Perception is not all that seems
• Experience and mental model
• Cognitive abilities
• Cultural environment
• Motivations
2
People are DIVERSE
3
People are DIVERSE
4
Cultural and International
Diversity
• Language
• Date / Time conventions
• Weights and Measures
• Left-to-right
• Directions (!)
• Telephone #s and addresses
• Names, titles, salutations
• SSN, ID, passport
• Sorting
• Icons, buttons, colors
• Etiquette
• Evaluation:
– Local experts/usability studies
Users with Disabilities
• Federal law to ensure access to IT, including computers
and web sites. (1998 Amendment to Rehabilitation Act)
• Disabilities
– Vision
• Blind
• low-vision
• color-blind
– Hearing
• Deaf
• Limited hearing
– Mobility
– Learning
• Keyboard and mouse alternatives
• Color coding
• Font-size
Users with Disabilities
• Contrast
• Text descriptors for web images
• Screen magnification
• Text to Speech (TTS) – JAWS (web pages)
– Check email on the road, in bright sunshine, riding a
bike
• Speech Recognition
Elderly
• Reduced
– Motor skills
– Perception
– Vision, hearing, touch, mobility
– Speed
– Memory
• Other needs
– Technology experience is varied (How
many grandmothers use email? mothers?)
– Uninformed on how technology could help
them
– Practice skills (hand-eye, problem solving,
etc.)
• Touch screens, larger fonts,
louder sounds
Children
• Technology saviness?
• Age changes much:
– Physical dexterity
• (double-clicking, click and drag, and small targets)
– Attention span
– (vaguely) Intelligence
• Varied backgrounds (socio-economic)
• Goals
– Educational acceleration
– Socialization with peers
– Psychological - improve self-image, self-confidence
– Creativity – art, music, etc. exploration
Children
• Teenagers are a special group
– Next generation
– Beta test new interfaces, trends
– Cell phones, text messages, simulations, fantasy games,
virtual worlds
• Requires Safety
• They
– Like exploring (easy to reset state)
– Don’t mind making mistakes
– Like familiar characters and repetition
– Don’t like patronizing comments, inappropriate humor
Device are much more complicated and
multi-functional than before
Device are much more complicated and
multi-functional than before
Device are much more complicated and
multi-functional than before
Device are much more complicated and
multi-functional than before
Device are much more complicated and
multi-functional than before
Device are much more complicated and
multi-functional than before
Device are much more complicated and
multi-functional than before
Device are much more complicated and
multi-functional than before
Why HCI?
