CSCI 4800/6800Human-Computer Interaction

Eileen Kraemereileen@cs.uga.edu

1/11/05

Course content Design, implementation, evaluation of user

interfaces for computer systems Take into account:

human factors usability design process

Topics include: effects of human capabilities and limitations on

interaction with computer systems Ethics and rules for working with human subjects Experimental design and statistical analysis “New” topics in HCI

Projects .. Students will apply these concepts

to the design and implementation of graphical user interfaces.

Java will be used for UI design; guidelines for such use will be discussed

What do you already know?: “Folk” HCI “Folk” theories (e.g. folk

psychology, folk physics) help in everyday explanations (e.g. why people do things, what will happen to cartoon character when he runs off cliff…)

Folk HCI: Our intuitive knowledge about usability and explanations

However …. Folk theories are often wrong w.r.t.

scientific/engineering analyses …

“Folk” definitions of usability Speed of response Regularity of

response Intuitiveness Familiarity Legibility Navigability Freedom from

error

Expected feedback Absence of visual

clutter Clear what to pay

attention to .. All good ideas, but:

What do they really mean?

How do we achieve them?

Understanding humans Humans = sensory processors

Sensory psych., EE & CS systems Humans = interpreters/predictors

Cog. Psych and AI Humans = actors in environments

Activity theory, ethnograpy, ecological psychology

Question: How much and how rapidly do humans change?

What makes a system usable? Humans = sensory processors

Usability == fit with human limits Humans = interpreters/predictors

Usability == fit with knowledge Humans = actors in environment

Usability == fit with task and social context

Two views of interaction Interaction with:

Software system is tool or machine Interface is a usability-engineered membrane Human-as-processor and interpreter model

Interaction through: Software is a medium used to interact with

task objects or other people Software must make affordance visible Human-as-interpreter & -actor models

Broadening the Cognitive Framework Recent developments in cognitive

psychology From human factors to human actors

Cognition and action as social[Vygotsky] Distributed cognition

Use of artifacts as external memories[Hutchins]

Affordances “What sort of operations and

manipulations can be done to a particular object” [Norman]

Examples: Handles Scroll bars Other “virtual” affordances such as

icons