Human-Computer Interaction

Neema Moraveji

SAMS-CS 2003

Do these look familiar?

Are these the best ways?Maybe. Probably not.

They are still improving.

People keep trying to make the desktop easier to use!

Applications

Which one is better?

We would have to find outby running experiments.

One is not necessarily betterjust because it looks ‘cooler’.

Who has used this before?

MP3 Controls

Pretty cool and funky looking!

But have you used this before?

MP3 Controls

Which interface is …

Easier?

More effective?

Sleeker?

Allow me to introduce…

User Interface (UI) What is UI?

“CS” definition: “visible piece of software which makes the services

of the underlying system easier to utilize efficiently (and effectively)”

Neema’s definition: “The way in which a piece of software looks,

behaves, and reacts to the user.”

HCI is everywhere!

Instant Messaging

HCI is everywhere!

Instant Messaging Sharing files (“peer-to-peer”)

HCI is everywhere!

Instant Messaging Sharing files (“peer-to-peer”) Playing music

UI research is a cool and importantpart of computer science!

What’s HCI?

People who study UI are in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI).

They figure out how to make hardware and software UI effective, efficient, and easy to use

It’s a new field that is becoming extremely important and changing quickly.

How are great interfaces made?

Hard work!

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Why is HCI Important?

One might ask, “Does it really matter? As long as the software works, who cares what it looks like?”

One reason Windows won ‘the war’ was because it improved the UI.

High quality software has people working to create a fantastic user interface.

HCI: it’s not just for desktops!

Let’s look at the mobile phone

All devices present new constraints What are some constraints in these cases?

Let’s look at the mobile phone

All devices present new constraints The mobile phone is very small, how do

we provide information while still making it

easy to read easy to use while in motion usable with one or two fingers attractive

Let’s look at the mobile phone

All devices present new constraints The mobile phone is very small, how do we

provide enough information on such a small screen while still making it

easy to read easy to use while on the go usable with one or two fingers attractive

Not one pixel can be wasted!

What will we do in this class?

Design software for a mobile phone emulator!

MP3 Player

Instant Messenger

Digital Book Reader

Shopping List Application

Address Book

Voice Notes