Human Computer Interaction Lect. Four Fourth weak (24 Oct. to 28 Oct.

2010)

Introduction:
The desire to build more effective weapons during World War II inspired a heightened interest in the study of interaction between humans and machines, a challenge that was readily taken up by researchers of the day. The Ergonomics Research Society, founded in 1949, was primarily concerned with the physical characteristics of machines and systems, and their effect on user performance. The field of Ergonomics (or Human Factors) is concerned with user performance in the context of any mechanical, computer, or manual system. With use of the computer becoming more widespread, more researchers began to specialize in studying the interaction between people and computers, concentrating on the physical, psychological and theoretical aspects of this interaction. Thus, Human-computer interaction was born. The field of information science has also influenced the development of the field of HCI. Information science is an old discipline that came into existence before technology, and is concerned with the management and manipulation of information within an organization. The introduction of technology has greatly influenced the way in which information can be stored, accessed and utilized, and has led to the rise of systems analysis, which matches the technology in the workplace to the requirements and constraints of the task . Although many other disciplines are concerned with HCI, it is especially 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 as:
Psychology and cognitive science for knowledge of the users perceptual, cognitive and problem-solving skills. 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.

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HCI is clearly a multi-disciplinary subject, and designing an effective interactive system from a single discipline in isolation is almost impossible. Computer scientists, however, are particularly interested in the practicalities of how they can use the principles and methods from each HCI discipline to assist them in designing better systems. Acquiring an understanding of the theory is important, but knowing how to apply the theory to the problem at hand is equally valuable.

Some of the disciplines involved in the field of Human-Computer Interaction

The firstly we covers the more theoretical aspects of human-computer interaction. The lecture then proceeds to illustrate the application of these theories to interface design principles, in order to enhance the usability of a software product.

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Communicating with Users: The importance of interaction design

One of the greatest challenges facing a software designer is understanding what a user requires from a product. To do this, the designer must have at least a basic understanding of mental models and other psychological theories and their application to software design. Since the user is interacting with the computer in order to accomplish something, the software interface is crucial to facilitating the users goals and tasks. The interface, which typically comprises nearly half of the lines of code of a software product, is where the designer must consider the implications of how the software influences and anticipates the users thought processes during their interaction.

Software designers design products for humans to use, yet knowledge of users and their mental processes is often elusive

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Mental and Conceptual Models:

Mental models are psychological representations of real or imaginary situations. The mind constructs small-scale models of reality in order to reason, to anticipate events, and to underlie explanation. The structure of the mental model corresponds to what it represents, and users acquire their mental models through interaction and explanation. In particular, a users mental model of a software product, and their interaction with it, is defined by the way in which users perceive the jobs they want to do and how the program helps them to do it.
Mental models have the following characteristics: They are often partial They are unstable and subject to change They can be internally inconsistent They are often unscientific and may be based on superstition rather than evidence They are often based on incorrect interpretation of the evidence

Mental models often take into consideration existing conventions that humans commonly use to interpret the world. Ideally, these conventions should be followed in design. However, if they are to be contravened, explicit support should be provided to enable people to form the correct mental models for the product . The example of dining out at a restaurant is often used to describe how someone might form a mental model. For instance, if a person mentions that they went to a restaurant for lunch, the listener may assume a certain sequence of events occurred during that interaction. The mental model may go something like this:
1. The person walked into the restaurant through a door, and was greeted by the Maitred?. 2. The Maitre d? showed the person to a table. 3. Another waiter presented the person with a menu. 4. The person ordered their food and drink.

This example illustrates the subjectiveness of mental models, and their basis on personal experience instead of scientific method. If someone is accustomed to a formal, sit-down restaurant, then a visit to a buffet restaurant may be confusing at best, or unpleasant at worst. This indicates a mismatched mental model, which the person must then alter to incorporate their new experience.
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Most software reflects the implementation model of its design (i.e. the logical structure of the program), instead of the users goals and the tasks required to accomplish them. However, the users mental model of a software product is often distinctly different from the software implementation model, because the complexity of the software implementation can obscure its functionality from the users perspective. This gives rise to a third model in the digital world: the conceptual model, which is also known as the represented model. These terms have been used to refer to the mental model a designer intends their user to follow when using their product. That is, they reflect the way designers choose to represent the workings of the program to the user. Conceptual design techniques aim to specifically assist a user in understanding a system. If the conceptual model of the system is substantially different from the users mental model, the user may find the system difficult to use. User interfaces that are based on the software conceptual model and assist the user to form a matching mental model, make a software product easier to use. The Error: Reference source not foundbelow illustrates the difference between the implementation model and a users mental model. The user forms a mental model of how they expect a software product to work. In an ideal situation, the user will be able to approach a new program and complete their desired task in exactly the manner that they expect the program to work. The conceptual (or represented) model reflects the way software designers choose to represent to the user how the program works. This is an aspect of design that developers have great control over, and the closer it matches the mental model of the user, the easier the user will find the program to use.

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Implementation Model reflects technology

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Mental Model reflects users vision

Represented Models

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Mental model vs Implementation model. The closer the represented (or conceptual) model of a software product is to the users mental model, the easier the program will be to use .

The Error: Reference source not foundbelow illustrates how Jascs Paint Shop Pro allows the user to see, both in preview and in real-time, how changing the values of certain parameters actually affects the picture s/he is manipulating. The user is more likely to be thinking in terms of how the final picture will look, rather than the numerical values that need to be manipulated to achieve the desired look.

Conceptual model and mental models. Jascs Paint Shop Pro illustrates how the products conceptual model can be made to more closely match a users mental model.

Training, documentation and interaction are all ways in which a user can acquire an appropriate conceptual model of a product; however, for general-purpose systems, interaction is by far the most realistic and effective. To create an easy to use system, the conceptual model must be:
Deliberately designed. Simple enough to be understood through interaction. Appropriate to the users tasks.

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It should also use familiar terms, provide adequate feedback, and be consistent with users Expectations.

Conceptual models provide many benefits to software design. They:

Provide an opportunity for simplification and innovation. Define concepts and terms for the user interface. Provide a framework for implementation the core model is elaborated and views and other interface components are added. Provide a basis for object oriented development. Provide control over feature bloat.

Reverse-engineering of conceptual models can also be used as a basis for user testing of a system, to evaluate whether or not the users mental model matches the designers conceptual model of a product. Techniques for developing a conceptual model are beyond the scope of this project, but provide an interesting possibility for future study.

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