HUMAN AND

COMPUTER
INTERACTION
What Is HCI?
Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the field of study that focuses on
optimizing how users and computers interact by designing interactive
computer interfaces that satisfy users’ needs. It is a multidisciplinary
subject covering computer science, behavioral sciences, cognitive
science, ergonomics, psychology, and design principles.

Emergence of HCI
The emergence of HCI dates back to the 1980s, when personal
computing was on the rise. It was when desktop computers
started appearing in households and corporate offices. HCI’s
journey began with video games, word processors, and
numerical units.
HCI became Omnipresent and Omnipotent
With the advent of the internet and the explosion of mobile and
diversified technologies such as voice-based and
Internet of Things (IoT), computing became omnipresent and
omnipotent.

Technological competence further led to the evolution of user

interactions. Consequently, the need for developing a tool that
would make such man-machine interactions more human-like grew
significantly. This established HCI as a technology, bringing different
fields such as cognitive engineering, linguistics, neuroscience, and
others under its realm.
Today, HCI focuses on designing, implementing, and
evaluating interactive interfaces that enhance user experience using
computing devices. This includes user interface design, user-centered
design, and user experience design.
Key components of HCI

Fundamentally, HCI is made up of four key components:

1. The user
The user component refers to an individual or a group of individuals
that participate in a common task. HCI studies users’ needs, goals, and
interaction patterns. It analyzes various parameters such as
users’ cognitive capabilities, emotions, and experiences to provide
them with a seamless experience while interacting with computing
systems.
2. The goal-oriented task
A user operates a computer system with an objective or goal in mind.
The computer provides a digital representation of objects to
accomplish this goal. For example, booking an airline for a destination
could be a task for an aviation website. In such goal-oriented
scenarios, one should consider the following aspects for a better user
experience:

 The complexity of the task that the user intends to accomplish

 Knowledge and skills necessary to interact with the digital object
 Time required to carry out the task
3. The interface
The interface is a crucial HCI component that can enhance the
overall user interaction experience. Various interface-related aspects
must be considered, such as interaction type (touch, click, gesture, or
voice), screen resolution, display size, or even color contrast. Users can
adjust these depending on the user’s needs and requirements.

For example, consider a user visiting a website on a smartphone. In

such a case, the mobile version of the website should only display
important information that allows the user to navigate through the site
easily. Moreover, the text size should be appropriately adjusted so that
the user is in a position to read it on the mobile device. Such design
optimization boosts user experience as it makes them feel comfortable
while accessing the site on a mobile phone.
4. The context
HCI is not only about providing better communication between users and
computers but also about factoring in the context and environment in
which the system is accessed. For example, while designing a
smartphone app, designers need to evaluate how the app will visually
appear in different lighting conditions (during day or night) or how it will
perform when there is a poor network connection. Such aspects can have
a significant impact on the end-user experience.
Thus, HCI is a result of continuous testing and refinement of interface
designs that can affect the context of use for the users.
Importance of HCI

HCI is crucial in designing intuitive interfaces that people with different

abilities and expertise usually access. Most importantly, human-
computer interaction is helpful for communities lacking knowledge and
formal training on interacting with specific computing systems.

With efficient HCI designs, users need not consider the intricacies and
complexities of using the computing system. User-friendly
interfaces ensure that user interactions are clear, precise, and natural.
 Importance of HCI in our day-to-day
lives:
1. HCI in daily lives
Today, technology has penetrated our routine lives and has impacted our daily activities.
To experience HCI technology, one need not own or use a smartphone or computer.
When people use an ATM, food dispensing machine, or snack vending machine, they
inevitably come in contact with HCI. This is because HCI plays a vital role in designing
the interfaces of such systems that make them usable and efficient.

2. Industry
Industries that use computing technology for day-to-day activities tend to consider HCI a
necessary business-driving force. Efficiently designed systems ensure that employees
are comfortable using the systems for their everyday work. With HCI, systems are easy
to handle, even for untrained staff.
HCI is critical for designing safety systems such as those used in air traffic control (ATC)
or power plants. The aim of HCI, in such cases, is to make sure that the system is
accessible to any non-expert individual who can handle safety-critical situations if the
need arises.
3. Accessible to disabled
The primary objective of HCI is to design systems that make them accessible, usable,
efficient, and safe for anyone and everyone. This implies that people with a wide range
of capabilities, expertise, and knowledge can easily use HCI-designed systems. It also
encompasses people with disabilities. HCI tends to rely on user-centered techniques and
methods to make systems usable for people with disabilities.

4. An integral part of software success

HCI is an integral part of software development companies that develop software for
end-users. Such companies use HCI techniques to develop software products to make
them usable. Since the product is finally consumed by the end-user, following HCI
methods is crucial as the product’s sales depend on its usability.

5. Useful for untrained communities

Today, user manuals for general computer systems are a rarity. Very few advanced and
complex computing systems provide user manuals. In general, users expect the systems
to be user-friendly and enable them to access the system within a few minutes of
interacting with it. Here, HCI is an effective tool that designers can use to design easy-to-
use interfaces. HCI principles also ensure that the systems have obvious interfaces and
do not require special training to be used. Hence, HCI makes computing systems suitable
for an untrained community.
Examples of HCI
Technological development has brought to light several tools, gadgets,
and devices such as wearable systems, voice assistants, health trackers,
and smart TVs that have advanced human-computer interaction
technology.
Some prominent examples of HCI that have accelerated its evolution.
1. IoT technology
2. Eye tracking technology
3. Speech recognition technology
4. AR/VR Technology
5. Cloud computing technology
1. IoT technology
IoT devices and applications have significantly impacted our
daily lives. According to a May 2022 report by IoT Analytics,
global IoT endpoints are expected to reach 14.4 billion in 2022
and grow to 27 billion (approx.) by 2025. As users interact with
such devices, they tend to collect their data, which helps
understand different user interaction patterns. IoT companies
can make critical business decisions that can eventually drive
their future revenues and profits.