HCI Test 1 Flashcards
Understanding HCI
HCI is the interdisciplinary study of how people interact with computers and other digital devices. The primary goal of HCI is to improve usability and enhance user experience. It encompasses various fields including computer science, cognitive psychology, design, and social sciences.
The evolution of HCI has been influenced by technological advancements and changing user needs.
People-Centered Design
People-centered design focuses on understanding user emotions and satisfaction with a product. It emphasizes the importance of aesthetics, usability, and emotional engagement in product design. The design process should consider users’ overall impressions and experiences with the product.
This approach leads to products that not only meet functional requirements but also enhance user enjoyment.
The Four Basic Activities of Interaction Design
Discovering Requirements: Identifying user needs and expectations through research and analysis. Designing Alternatives: Creating multiple design solutions to address user requirements. Prototyping Alternative Designs: Developing low-fidelity or high-fidelity prototypes to visualize design concepts. Evaluating Product and User Experience: Testing designs with users to gather feedback and improve usability.
These activities are iterative, often requiring multiple cycles of design and evaluation.
Interface Metaphors
Interface metaphors are design elements that draw on familiar concepts to help users understand new interfaces. They provide a bridge between the user’s existing knowledge and the new system’s functionality. Examples include the ‘desktop’ metaphor in operating systems, which mimics a physical workspace.
Designers must ensure that metaphors are culturally relevant and easily understood by the target audience.
4 Primary Interaction Types
The four primary interaction types are instructing, conversing, manipulating, and exploring. Instructing: Users give commands to the system (e.g., typing a command in a terminal). Conversing: Interaction through dialogue, often seen in chatbots and virtual assistants. Manipulating: Users interact with objects on the screen (e.g., dragging and dropping files). Exploring: Users navigate through information spaces (e.g., browsing a website).
Cognitive Frameworks
Cognitive frameworks help explain and predict user behavior at the interface. They are based on psychological theories of behavior and mental processes. These frameworks consider how users perceive, remember, and process information. Artifacts and representations play a crucial role in shaping user interactions.
Understanding cognitive frameworks aids in designing more effective user interfaces.
Reflective Cognition
Reflective cognition involves deeper mental processes such as judgment and decision-making. It contrasts with automatic or intuitive thinking, requiring more cognitive effort. This type of cognition is essential for complex problem-solving and critical thinking.
Designers should consider how reflective cognition impacts user interactions with systems.
Online Social Interactions
Online social interactions encompass communication, collaboration, and community-building. Key characteristics include immediacy, connectivity, and anonymity. These interactions can take place through various platforms such as social media, forums, and chat applications.
Designers must consider the impact of anonymity on user behavior and community dynamics.
Components of Conversation
Effective online conversations involve turn-taking, context, and feedback. Turn-taking refers to the exchange of messages between participants, ensuring balanced communication. Context provides the background necessary for understanding the conversation. Feedback allows users to gauge responses and adjust their communication accordingly.
Understanding Paradigms
Paradigms refer to the overarching approaches adopted by communities of researchers and designers. They encompass shared assumptions, concepts, values, and practices within a field. Understanding paradigms helps contextualize research and design efforts in HCI.
Designers should be aware of prevailing paradigms to align their work with current trends.
Usability Testing
Usability testing evaluates how easily users can interact with a product or system. It helps designers identify design issues and improve the overall user experience.
Accessibility Features
Accessibility features are tools that enable people with disabilities to use technology effectively. Examples include screen readers and keyboard shortcuts, promoting inclusivity.
Importance of Feedback in User Interaction
Feedback provides users with immediate information about their actions. It confirms system responses, reducing errors and enhancing user satisfaction.
Telepresence
Telepresence refers to the experience of being present with another party in a physical space. It enhances communication and collaboration in remote settings, making interactions feel more personal.
Memory Types
Long-term memory allows recall of information from a longer time ago, such as childhood memories. Working memory refers to the ability to hold and manipulate a small amount of information temporarily.
