An Introduction to Human Computer Interaction

Evan Golub
Contact egolub@cs.umd.edu for more information.

User interface design and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has become increasingly important in recent years, and is the foundation of the activities of the HCIL. We will summarize the design, development, and evaluation of computer user interfaces. The goal is to shift the mindset of developers to thinking that the basic goal of software should be to serve people, and not the other way around.

This tutorial is suitable for people with no background in design or HCI. The following is a preliminary outline for the day: - Introduction to some general questions and thoughts (what does the area of HCI include? are all parts important to all developers?) - Understanding users and getting to know their tasks (not every user is the same, but how different are they? how do we determine tasks? do all users have the same tasks? how do we get to know how the users perform tasks?) - Designing with the user (there are several levels at which we can involve the user - which to use? when? why?) - Designing visual interfaces (how to make something interesting yet still usable) - Evaluating interfaces (what are some guidelines that are used? how can this be done rapidly? at a low cost?) There will be two or three hands-on exercises to help us explore these topics. I think this is a great way to find out about the above topics but also a way to get to meet and talk with others who are interested in HCI. The Symposium and Open House on Friday is also a great way to see a wide variety of ways in which these and other principles can be applied.