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

Evaluating what is off-limits

Here is a moment to be real with yourself. What do you want to work on?

As an HCI designer, you should think deeply about what is off-limits for you:

Software is involved in every aspect of society and therefore can be used by every industry. For instance, I do not smoke, I do not want to smoke, and because of the well-documented health issues, dubious marketing tactics, and other negative effects caused by the tobacco industry, I don't want to create software or websites that help their businesses. Because of my stance against smoking, promotion, websites, and software, it makes it easy for me to place them on the off-limits list. Having an off-limits list, or, at a minimum, knowing what is off-limits, will help you identify what is fair game or, even better, what you are passionate about from a software perspective. With your experience in HCI, let's practice defining some of your software interests.

Challenge 52 – Zones of interest and...