Human Computer interaction
• Interface Defined The interface between the user and the computer is a critical factor for both man/woman and machine to do a job. "An interface is a contact surface between two systems that dictates the nature of the interaction between those systems" . ... • Definition and Role of Human Computer Interaction Human Computer Interaction has been defined as a discipline that studies the relationships between the human and the computer. The role of Human Computer Interaction is to provide people with a design that allows them to "carry out their activities productively and safely" . The discipline is concerned with the capturing of information on such factors as ease of use, safety, usability by the end user, efficiency of use by the human element, the ability to understand without great detail the interface design, and the actual design of interfaces. ... • The Need for Human Computer Interaction The focus has changed over the past few years from asking the Information Department to provide data, which could take months to develop the software and its interface, to the end user gathering his/her own ad hoc information via fourth generation languages. ... By definition, we have to study the interaction of the human and the computer in HCI. ... Problem solving skills differ among people so no one set of rules becomes a panacea for computer interaction. In a sense, HCI has to be capable of understanding the memory of the human and the memory of the computer. • Two Key Principles Towards Successful Human Computer Interaction Two key principles identified by Donald Norman, a well-known author of Human Computer Interaction, is Visibility and Affordance. ... • Attention and Memory Constraints of Human Cognition People respond to their environment based on their perceptions of what they hear, see, smell, etc. ... We can take advantage of that association to help users with our goals of Human Computer Interaction. ... • White Space Use of white space can be used to the designers advantage when trying to work within the Human Computer Interaction framework. ... Poorly designed interfaces translate into lost dollars for businesses due to factors such as inefficiency, human error, and retraining. By simply applying concepts of Human Computer Interaction, we can greatly reduce the risk of a failed design.