Book Image

Learn Human-Computer Interaction

By : Christopher Reid Becker
Book Image

Learn Human-Computer Interaction

By: Christopher Reid Becker

Overview of this book

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a field of study that researches, designs, and develops software solutions that solve human problems. This book will help you understand various aspects of the software development phase, from planning and data gathering through to the design and development of software solutions. The book guides you through implementing methodologies that will help you build robust software. You will perform data gathering, evaluate user data, and execute data analysis and interpretation techniques. You’ll also understand why human-centered methodologies are successful in software development, and learn how to build effective software solutions through practical research processes. The book will even show you how to translate your human understanding into software solutions through validation methods and rapid prototyping leading to usability testing. Later, you will understand how to use effective storytelling to convey the key aspects of your software to users. Throughout the book, you will learn the key concepts with the help of historical figures, best practices, and references to common challenges faced in the software industry. By the end of this book, you will be well-versed with HCI strategies and methodologies to design effective user interfaces.
Table of Contents (17 chapters)
1
Section 1 - Learn Human-Computer Interaction
5
Section 2 - How to Build Human-Centered Software
11
Section 3 - When to Improve Software Systems

Valuing accessibility

Accessibility makes your software products, including websites, as usable as possible by as many people as possible. It is the practice of thinking about all your users, including those with disabilities. Accessibility is thought of as treating all users equally, regardless of their ability or circumstances. Many in the design world and the software design community confuse accessibility for simply helping the disabled. Unfortunately, such a narrow understanding of the role of accessibility diminishes the role designers can play when they solve software problems by considering all their users. This is equivalent to adding a wheelchair ramp for a building after it has been built: although it makes the building more accessible, it is not accessibly designed from the beginning. Adding an accessibility ramp on the surface is not altogether bad; however, including the consideration for all users, including those with limited access, in the heart of solutions from the...