Week 2 - by Alice Low Soo Ying

The first lecture in Interaction Studies class was about HCI. So, what is HCI? 

HCI actually is the short for Human-Computer Interaction, a discipline concerned with the study, design, construction and implementation of human-centric interactive computer systems. A user interface, such as a GUI, is how a human interacts with a computer, and HCI goes beyond designing screens and menus that are easier to use and studies the reasoning behind building specific functionality into computers and the long-term effects that systems will have on humans.

Although many other disciplines are concerned with HCI, it is important in computer science and systems design, because it involves the design, implementation and evaluation of interactive computer systems in the context of the users task and work. The ideal designer of an interactive system would have expertise in such diverse fields.

• Psychology and cognitive science for knowledge of the users.
• Ergonomics for the users physical capabilities.
• Sociology to understand the wider context of the interaction.
• Computer science and engineering to be able to build the necessary technology.
• Graphic design to produce a pleasing visual interface.
• Technical writing to produce the manuals.
• Business to be able to market the product.

Because human-computer interaction studies human aspects as well as machine side and it is often regarded as the intersection of computer science and behavioral sciences.

1) Behavioral Science:
Studies the human factors of computers. Focus on the evaluation of interactive computing systems for human use in terms of perceptions, beliefs, usabilities, and staisfactions which includes both software (characters or objects displayed by software on a personal computer's monitor) and hardware (input received from users via hardware peripherals such as keyboards and mice, and other devices).

2) Computer Science:
Studies the new interfaces and interaction techniques within given constraints. Focus in developing new design methodologies, experimenting with new hardware devices, prototyping new software systems, exploring new paradigms for interaction, and developing models and theories of interaction.

References:
http://www.webopedia.com/TERM/H/HCI.html
http://searchcio-midmarket.techtarget.com/definition/HCI
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human%E2%80%93computer_interaction