LIVING IN THE INFORMATION

TECHNOLOGY ERA:
Human-Computer
Interaction
 Learning Objectives

• Able to define interaction design and human-computer

interaction;
• Describe the concepts of usability, user experience and user-
centered design.
• Describe the lifecycle model of interaction design.
 Human-Computer Interaction

• Human-computer interaction (HCI) is a

multidisciplinary field of study focusing on the
design of computer technology and, in particular,
the interaction between humans (the users) and
computers. While initially concerned with
computers, HCI has since expanded to cover
almost all forms of information technology
design.
Human-Computer Interaction
User Experience and User Interface
• Technology provides a much faster means of
accomplishing tasks. However, some may say that
technology can be intimidating and hard to grasp. It is
therefore a must to explore ways by which interacting
with technology can be improved to enhance overall
human experience. Although one may argue that
experience is subjective, e.g., determining, which is
better between iOS and Android, there are ways to
ensure that a computer will interact well with its user.
User Experience and User Interface
• When developing a product or application, two of the major concerns of
designers are user interface (UI) and user experience (UX).
• The UI of a product refers to the interface by which a user interacts with the
product. Thus, UI design primarily focuses on two things:
✓ (a) anticipating what users might need to do and
✓ (b) ensuring that the interface has elements that are easy to access,
understand, and use. UI design is mostly focused on the visual experience of
a user.
• UX Design focuses on the overall experience of a user. Aside from ease of
use, UX design also takes into account one's emotional responses. UX
design prioritizes the logical journey of a user to a desired task. It is a human-
first way of designing a product.
 User Experience and User
Interface
• What is a good example of an application with a bad UI and
UX design?
✓Consider websites that display annoying advertisements or
has . lot of pop-up ads. Such websites can hinder the
happiness of the user while visiting the website. In the UI and
UX design of the Google search engine, such concern is
addressed in two ways (a) advertisements are only placed at
the top of a webpage (b) only a few advertisements are
displayed.
✓Another example of a significant improvement in UI design is
evident in the history of mobile phone interfaces. Back in the
early 2000s, mobile phones are not yet smart, le., they cannot
connect to the Internet. In those days, common mobile phones
are designed with a so-called keypad.
User Experience and User
Interface
• The keypad functions both as a mouse
and keyboard in desktop computers.
The keypad has arrow keys, select
keys, and number keys. The number
keys are also used to type in letters and
symbols. Back then, one has to press
the key for number 'i' three times to type
in the letter 'c.' Also, the screens of the
mobile phones are small. Most of the
space is occupied by the keypad.
 User Experience and User
Interface
• With the touchscreen innovation and adaptation, mobile
phones no longer have keypads and instead have big mobile
phone screens.
• The user input is mostly touch-based, i.E., Touch an icon to
select and a virtual keyboard.
• Smartphones today also measure how long an icon is touched.
As a result, a long press can be distinguished from a short one.
• In the home screen, one can use a short press to open an app
and a long press, for example, to remove an app. Also,
smartphones today, with the help of the internet, can recognize
voice commands so that one can open applications even
without touching his/her phone.
• With voice assistants like google assistant and siri, one can
even perform complex tasks like searching and answering
questions.
 Wearable Computers
• As technology improves, human-
computer interaction also improves, not
just at the level of software design but
even at the level of hardware.
• For example, in the domain of computer
games, better game controllers have
been developed that enhances user
experience.
 Wearable Computers
• In 2006, Nintendo released Wii. This introduced a new
paradigm in home gaming, with its breakthrough ability of
manipulating items on screen by simply pointing and
recognizing gestures through an accelerometer and
optical sensor technology. Kinect, a similar but more
advanced console was released in 2010 by Xbox.
• It does not have any wearable piece of equipment; instead
data are collected through a camera, a microphone and a
depth sensor. It features a 3D motion capture and uses
machine learning algorithms for different types of
recognition: gesture, voice, and facial recognition.
 Wearable Computers

Depth perception using the

infrared camera
 Wearable Computers

Transfer of information from

the camera to the TV screen
you see
 Wearable Computers
• Significant improvement in user experience may also be greatly
influenced by the prevalence of so-called wearable computers.
• A wearable computer is a computing device that is either
strapped to or carried on a user's body. Itis used most often in
entertainment (where the person wearing the computer actually
moves or is otherwise engaged with his or her surroundings); in
research that focuses on behavioral modeling; in health
monitoring systems; and in many IT solutions.
• Wearable computers provide constant computer and user
interaction.
 Wearable Computers
• Significant improvement in user experience may also be greatly
influenced by the prevalence of so-called wearable computers.
• A wearable computer is a computing device that is either
strapped to or carried on a user's body. Itis used most often in
entertainment (where the person wearing the computer actually
moves or is otherwise engaged with his or her surroundings); in
research that focuses on behavioral modeling; in health
monitoring systems; and in many IT solutions.
• Wearable computers provide constant computer and user
interaction.
Wearable Computers
• Wearable computers that are designed fa
commercial use have smart sensors that can
easily recognize patterns made by the human
body.
• The occurrence of such sensors has opened a
lot of possibilities for software development
Wearables like Fitbit tracker and Apple Watch
have been commonly used for health
purposes, e.g., monitoring heart rate, number f
steps walked, quality of sleep, and calories
burned.
• Today, such type of wearables can already be
synced to a compatible smartphone, thereby
improving user experience.
 Virtual Reality
• The dawn of high performing processors has led to the
realization of technologies, which has taken the user
experience to unimaginable levels. The development of
user interfaces has transcended - from just visual
experience to more interactive platforms - to make user
experience more immersive.
Virtual Reality
 Virtual Reality
• Virtual Reality (VR) technologies completely immerse a
user inside synthetic environment, and as a result, the user
cannot see the real world around him.
✓For example, using VR can enable one to be in a fantasy
world discover space or be in a different part of the world.
The most common setup for VR involves a headset,
integrated audio, and motion controller.
• The most important component is the headset. When a user
is in the virtual world, the way he moves his headset
influences his view, making it look like he is exploring the
virtual world.
 Virtual Reality
• In most low-end, mobile-based devices, VR experience is designed for a
person that is stationary during the entire experience. When the user wants to
walk or reach under a table in the virtual environment, the user commonly uses
an external controller like a joystick in order move. Into contrast, majority of
high-end VR hardware allows room-scale experience.
• In such case, real-life movements of a user are tracked and influences the
digital environment. This implies that when one walks in the physical world. this
is also translated as walking in the virtual environment.
• Room-scale experience provides a more immersive experience. However,italso
has setbacks.
✓ For example, it needs a wide empty physical space for walking otherwise, the
user may bump into physical obstacles. Also, the limits of the real-world
physical barriers must be reflected as boundary the digital world.
 Virtual Reality
• In most low-end, mobile-based devices, VR experience is designed for a
person that is stationary during the entire experience. When the user wants to
walk or reach under a table in the virtual environment, the user commonly uses
an external controller like a joystick in order move. Into contrast, majority of
high-end VR hardware allows room-scale experience.
• In such case, real-life movements of a user are tracked and influences the
digital environment. This implies that when one walks in the physical world. this
is also translated as walking in the virtual environment.
• Room-scale experience provides a more immersive experience. However, it
also has setbacks.
✓ For example, it needs a wide empty physical space for walking otherwise, the
user may bump into physical obstacles. Also, the limits of the real-world
physical barriers must be reflected as boundary the digital world.
 Virtual Reality
• One example of a high-end VR
hardware is the Oculus Rift It has three
components: a headset, touch
controllers, and rift sensors. The touch
controllers are worn on the hands and
thus provide intuitive hand presence.
This creates the feeling that your
virtual hands are actually your own.
The rift sensors track movements of
the user so that such movements can
be reflected in the VR environment.
 Virtual Reality
Other examples of VR hardware available in the market today include
HTC Vive, PlayStation VR, Google Daydream, and Google Cardboard.
Unlike Oculus Rift, which needs external hardware like sensors and
controllers, some low-end VR devices can function even by using a
smartphone.
For example, one can create their own VR headset using instructions
given in the Google Cardboard website
(https://vr.google.com/cardboard/get-cardboard/).Using Google
Cardboard, a user can be immersed in a virtual world, albeit for a limited
one, even by simply holding up a smartphone display in one's face.
 Augmented Reality
• Augmented Reality (AR) is taking digital or computer
generated information -whether it be images, audio, video,
and touch or haptic sensations - and overlaying them on
real-time environment .
• Augmented Reality technically can be used to enhance all
five senses, but its most common present-day use is visual.
Unlike VR that creates a computer-simulated reality and
completely isolates the user from the real-world,
Augmented Reality
Augmented Reality
• AR enriches the real-world with
computer-generated input to add
value to the physical world we
experience. Some popular mobile
applications that offer basic AR are
Snapchat, Instagram, Yelp, and
Pokémon Go. Whenever you add
bunny ears to your image in Snapchat
or have Pikachu appearing at your
classroom, you are using AR. Today,
AR can be used in one's day-to- day
communication and Functions.
 Augmented Reality
• The iPhone X released in 2018 boasted AR features like Ikea
Place and Tap Measure. Other well-known consumer AR
products include heads-up displays in car windshields and
wearables like smart glasses. Smart glasses enable
notifications, reminders, and other applications to be
superimposed onto a field of view.
• While majority of these applications only provide a digital
overlay on a physical environment, other sophisticated forms of
AR take a view of the real world and integrate digital content
that can interact with the view of the physical world.For
example, this enables the user to drop a ball off the walls and
floor in the real world. Other forms of AR enable a user to
interact with the digital elements. Microsoft HoloLens is one
example of an existing AR headset having such capability.
Thank You for listening