Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is the study of how humans and computers interact by building interactive computer interfaces that meet the demands of the users. Computer science, behavioral sciences, cognitive science, ergonomics, psychology, and design concepts are all covered in this multidisciplinary subject.

The need for HCI began when personal computers were started to use in households and offices around the decade 1980. The journey of HCI started with video games, word processors, and numerical units.

Eventually, with the introduction of the internet and the expansion of mobile and diverse technologies such as voice-based and Internet of Things (IoT), computers became worldwide and powerful. with the evolution of user interactions due to technical competency the demand for developing a tool to make human-machine interactions more human-like increased considerably. This resulted in the creation of HCI as a technology, including several domains such as cognitive engineering, linguistics, neurology, and others.

Presently, human-computer interaction (HCI) aims at developing, implementing, and evaluating interactive interfaces that improve the user experience when using computing devices. User interface design, user-centered design, and user experience design are all examples of this.

Primary Components of Human-Computer Interaction

The User

A person or a group of people who collaborate on a mutual objective can be referred to as a User. The requirements, goals, and interaction patterns of users are examined by the HCI. Then it analyzes a variety of characteristics, including users’ cognitive skills, emotions, and experiences, to give them a seamless experience when engaging with computing devices.

The Goal-oriented Task

A computer system is operated by a user with a specific goal or objective in the mind. To accomplish this objective, the computer creates a digital representation of objects. When considering an aviation website, booking an airline for a specific destination can be a task.

To have a better user experience, the difficulty of the work that the user desires to do, the knowledge and abilities required to engage with the digital object, and the time needed to finish the task should be taken into consideration.

The Interface

The interface is an important HCI component that may improve overall user engagement. Various interface-related factors, including interaction type (touch, click, gesture, or speech), screen resolution, display size, and even color contrast, must be considered. Users can customize them to meet their specific needs and requirements.

When a user accesses a website using a smartphone, the most vital information is displayed in the mobile version of that website since it helps the user to browse through the site with ease. Furthermore, the font size should be correctly adjusted so that the consumer can view it on the smartphone. Such design optimization improves user experience by making them feel at ease when viewing the site through mobile phones.

The Context

HCI is concerned not only with improving communication between people and computers but also with taking into account the context and environment in which the system is used. For example, when creating a smartphone app, designers must consider how the app will seem visually under different lighting conditions (day or night) or how it would run in the event of a weak or network connection. Such factors can have a big influence on the end-user experience.

Significance of Human-Computer Interaction

• HCI is an essential component of software development firms that create software for end users. These businesses employ HCI principles to build useful software products. Because the product is ultimately consumed by the end-user, adhering to HCI methods is important because the product’s sales are dependent on its usability.
• In businesses and companies, an efficient system guarantee that staff feels at ease using the systems daily. System administration is simple using HCI, even for inexperienced personnel. But in some situations, HCI is essential in the design of safety systems such as those used in air traffic control (ATC) and power plants. In such situations, the goal of HCI is to ensure that the system is accessible to any non-expert user who can manage safety-critical situations if necessary.
• In day-to-day life, we can experience HCI in an ATM or a vending machine for food or snacks other than on smartphones and computers.
• Can give Access to the Disabled. The basic goal of HCI is to develop systems that are accessible, useable, efficient, and safe for everyone. This means that people with a wide variety of abilities, experience, and knowledge may utilize HCI-designed systems with ease. People with impairments are also included. To make systems useable for individuals with impairments, HCI relies on user-centered methods and procedures.
• User manuals for mainstream computer systems are becoming rare. User manuals are available for very few advanced and complicated computing systems. In general, people expect systems to be user-friendly and accessible after a few minutes of engaging with them. In this case, HCI is an excellent technique that designers may utilize to create user-friendly interfaces. HCI principles also ensure that systems have clear interfaces and do not require any additional training to function. As a result, HCI creates computer solutions that are acceptable for an unskilled community.

Human-Computer Interaction Examples

IoT technology

Nowadays, IoT devices are used in our day-to-day activities. As consumers engage with such devices, data is collected, which assists in understanding different user interaction patterns.

At present this IoT technology has been developed where smartphones are made which can recognize how the user holds the phone and which finger is closest to the screen for action. This concept is called ‘pre-touch sensing’ via pre-touch phones. When the device detects the user’s hand motions, it automatically guesses the user’s intent and completes the work before the user delivers any instructions.

‘Paper ID’ is another HCI-related invention. The paper functions as a touchscreen to recognize motions and connect to other IoT devices. Fundamentally, it digitizes paper and performs gesture-based operations by concentrating on man-machine interaction characteristics.

Eye-tracking technology

The purpose of eye-tracking is to determine where a person is looking based on the gaze point. Eye-tracking technologies monitor the user’s gaze with cameras and some incorporated light sources for clarity. Furthermore, for effective gaze recognition, these devices utilize machine learning algorithms and image processing capabilities.

Eye-catching technology can be used to get man advantages. It can be used to check the attentiveness of people for a specific task. It can assist in controlling distractions and focusing when they are engaging in a task. Thus, eye-tracking technology, in combination with HCI-enabled interactions, can assist companies in monitoring the everyday operations of their employees or workers.

‘Driver monitoring systems’ that assure road safety are another use. Furthermore, HCI-enabled eye-tracking devices may allow users to scroll around a computer screen just by rolling their eyeballs in the future.

Speech recognition technology

In speech recognition technology, human language is identified and interpreted, comprehend meaning from the language, and the task is performed for the user. Chatbots and virtual assistants have been popular nowadays.

Speech recognition is used by Amazon’s Alexa, Microsoft’s Cortana, Google’s Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri to enable user interaction with their smartphones, houses, vehicles, and so on.

The combination of HCI with voice recognition smooths man-machine interactions, allowing devices to accurately comprehend and respond to human orders and requests. It may be used to transcribe conference calls, training sessions, and interviews, among other things.

AR/VR technology

AR and VR technologies are capable of making a digital environment and making the user’s daily activities more productive. They are immersive technologies that can be embedded into glasses and make them smart glasses which can make seamless user interaction with computer systems without involving hands.

Furthermore, the approach dramatically lowers system downtime. This means that because smart AR/VR glasses like the ‘Oculus Quest 2’ are supported by applications, errors or issues in the system may be fixed in real time by maintenance teams. This improves the user experience in a short period. Additionally, the glasses can detect the user’s reaction to the interface and improve the interaction depending on the user’s personality, requirements, and preferences.

Therefore, AR/VR technology combined with HCI assures that the activity is completed with minimum mistakes and with improved precision and quality. HCI research is currently focusing on additional areas of study, including brain-computer interfaces and sentiment analysis, to improve the user’s AR/VR experience.

Cloud Computing

Cloud Computing and HCI transformed offices into remote workspaces where any person can work from anywhere in the world. Companies in a variety of industries are already embracing remote task teams. In the ‘Breaking Barriers 2020’ survey by Fuze (An 8×8 Company), around 83% of employees feel more productive working remotely. According to current trends, traditional workplaces will undergo significant reorganization and transformation over the next few decades.

Furthermore, by utilizing cloud-based SaaS services, an employee could access data on the cloud from any physical location. Such virtual environments improve working and enable seamless communication with remote workers across industry sectors without affecting productivity. As a result, traditional offices will become obsolete over time, owing mostly to SaaS and HCI.

Goals of Human-Computer Interaction

HCI’s primary goal is to create functioning systems that are useable, safe, and efficient for end users. This goal can be achieved by the developer community if the following requirements are met:

1. Have a solid understanding of how people interact with computing systems.
2. Create methods, strategies, and tools that allow people to access systems depending on their specific requirements.
3. Adjust, test, improve, validate, and guarantee that users are able to communicate or engage with the systems effectively.
4. Always prioritize end users and establish a solid basis for HCI.

To achieve the legitimate goal, developers must concentrate on two key areas: usability and user experience.

Usability

The way of using a HCI system should be simple to learn and remember for new and infrequent users alike. Operating systems with a user-friendly interface, for example, are easier to grasp than DOS operating systems with a command-line interface.

The system should be secure to use. A secure system protects users from potentially hazardous conditions. This might relate to users committing mistakes and errors when operating the system, which could have serious consequences. HCI practices can help users deal with this problem. For example, systems can be built to prevent users from mistakenly engaging certain keys or buttons. Another example would be to offer recovery methods if the user makes a mistake. This may give consumers the confidence to go further into the system or interface.

The system should be efficient and effective. It indicates how excellent is the system, completes the tasks that are expected of it, and demonstrates how the system assists users in completing their responsibilities with high-quality performance. The system also should be enjoyable to use for the user without complicated User interfaces.

The correct use of utility which is the various features and tools given by the system to execute the specified task should be a good characteristic related to the usability of the system. A sound utility system, for example, provides an integrated development environment (IDE) that gives periodic assistance to programmers or users through recommendations can be given as a good utility example.

User experience

The subjective attribute of user experience depends on how users feel about the computer system when interacting with it. Individual user emotions are analyzed here so that developers and support teams can target specific users to trigger favorable sensations while using the system.

HCI systems categorize user interaction patterns into the following groups and refine the system depending on the identified pattern:

1. Desirable traits – satisfying, enjoyable, motivating, or surprising
2. Undesirable traits – Frustrating, unpleasant, or annoying

Takeaway

Cleverly designed computer interfaces encourage consumers to use digital devices. Two-way communication between a human and a machine is allowed by HCI. Because of the effectiveness of communication, people assume they are engaging with human personalities rather than a complex computer system. As a result, it is important to provide a solid HCI foundation that will affect future applications such as targeted marketing, elder care, and even psychological trauma therapy.