# Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is an interdisciplinary field studying how people interact with computers and designing technologies that enable effective, efficient, and satisfying interactions. Emerging in the 1980s, HCI draws from computer science, cognitive psychology, design, and ergonomics. Pioneers like [[Don Norman]], [[Ben Shneiderman]], and [[Stuart Card]] established its foundations. HCI encompasses both research (understanding human behavior with technology) and practice (designing better interfaces). It provides the theoretical foundation for [[User Experience (UX)]] and [[User Interface Design]], examining topics from input devices and interface paradigms to social computing and human-AI interaction. ## Key Concepts - **Mental models**: Users' understanding of how systems work - **Affordances**: Perceived possible actions ([[Don Norman]]) - **Feedback**: System responses to user actions - **Cognitive load**: Mental effort required - **Fitts's Law**: Movement time to targets - **Hick's Law**: Decision time increases with choices ## HCI Research Areas | Area | Focus | |------|-------| | Input/Output | Keyboards, mice, touch, voice, VR/AR | | Information Visualization | Data representation and exploration | | Ubiquitous Computing | Computing embedded everywhere | | CSCW | Computer-supported cooperative work | | Accessibility | Design for users with disabilities | | Human-AI Interaction | AI assistants, recommendations | ## Design Principles (Shneiderman's 8 Golden Rules) 1. Strive for consistency 2. Seek universal usability 3. Offer informative feedback 4. Design dialogs to yield closure 5. Prevent errors 6. Permit easy reversal of actions 7. Keep users in control 8. Reduce short-term memory load ## Foundational Works - [[Don Norman]]: *The Design of Everyday Things* (1988) - Ben Shneiderman: *Designing the User Interface* (1986) - Card, Moran, Newell: *The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction* (1983) - Alan Cooper: *About Face* (1995) ## HCI vs UX vs UI | Field | Focus | Output | |-------|-------|--------| | HCI | Research, theory | Knowledge, principles | | UX | User journey, experience | Designs, prototypes | | UI | Visual presentation | Interfaces, layouts | ## References - https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/human-computer-interaction - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human–computer_interaction - ACM SIGCHI (primary academic organization) ## Related - [[Don Norman]] - [[Ben Shneiderman]] - [[Stuart Card]] - [[User Experience (UX)]] - [[User Interface Design]] - [[Usability]] - [[Accessibility (a11y)]] - [[Jakob Nielsen]]