CSci 122 Module 3

• The intention of HCI design is to make the interaction between the system and the user feel more natural
• Human Computer Interaction is a multidisciplinary field of study focusing on the design of computer technology
• The growth of modern-day user experience is a byproduct of the research done in the field of HCI
• Human Computer Interaction has evolved over three decades
• The transition in HCI happened from character-based screens to graphical user interfaces in black and white to color
• The journey in HCI has adapted across screen sizes, including responsive designs
• Design methodologies available today

  • Iterative Design
  • System Centered Design
  • User Centered Design
  • Participatory Design
  • Designer Centered Design
• Iterative Design


  Starts with Requirement to Design to Development to Testing and the cycle continues, sometimes earlier phases are iterated
• System Centered Design


  Primarily works on the resources available including platforms, tools, and people
• User Centered Design


  Identification of real needs, context, work to accomplish, and set of tasks to understand the user better for a high success rate
• Participatory Design


  Iterative process involving end users to understand problems, come up with solutions, and improve productivity
• Designer Centered Design


  Popular DCD is the iPhone during the Nokia phones era, where the designer's understanding is key
• Task analysis is the process of learning about ordinary users by observing them in action to understand in detail how they perform their tasks and achieve their intended goals
• Types of Task Analysis

  • Cognitive Task Analysis
  • Hierarchical Task Analysis
• Cognitive Task Analysis


  Focused on understanding tasks that require decision-making, problem-solving, memory, attention, and judgement
• Hierarchical Task Analysis


  Focused on decomposing a high-level task into subtasks
• How to Conduct a Task Analysis

  Identify the task, break it down into subtasks, draw a layered task diagram, produce a written account and decomposition diagram, present the analysis to someone else for consistency
• It's important to decide the level of detail for decomposing subtasks to ensure consistency
• User testing is the process through which the interface and functions of a website, app, product, or service are tested by real users who perform specific tasks in realistic conditions
• The purpose of user testing is to evaluate the usability of a website or app and decide if the product is ready to be launched for real users
• User testing


  Real users perform specific tasks in realistic conditions to evaluate the usability of a website or app
• User testing is important to decide whether a product is ready to be launched for real users
• Software testing helps to understand errors, missing requirements, or gaps in software
• Types of user testing

  Usability testing (UX research)
• Usability testing


  The efficiency and ease of use of a web page or electronic interface by a user to satisfy their needs
• Website usability is a mandatory requirement for an e-commerce site
• Aspects measured in website usability testing

  • Eye-tracking
  • Heat maps
  • Click-through maps
  • User journey
• Surveys


  Help obtain user feedback about a product from customers to improve it
• Customer satisfaction surveys help in receiving responses from customers regarding a product
• A/B testing


  Send two different variants of an email to different groups of subscribers to track customer reactions and determine the more effective variant
• Setting goals is essential before conducting A/B testing to determine what to test and what to achieve
• The purpose of A/B testing is to learn about customer behavior and preferences
• Focus group


  A qualitative research technique involving a discussion with a group of participants to obtain in-depth information on motivations and behaviors
• Fields where focus groups can be used

  • Testing messages
  • Products
  • Advertisements
• Focus-group research


  Establishing a discussion on a given topic with a group consisting of 8-10 participants, usually for 1-2 hours, to obtain in-depth information on motivations and behaviors of interest categories
• Fields where focus-group research can be used

  • Testing messages, products, advertisements, etc.
  • Identifying perceptions about a product, organization, service or concept
  • Evaluation/testing of advertising and promotional campaigns
  • Identification of the profile of a target group
  • Identifying the characteristics of a brand (brand image) and positioning it among competing brands on the market
  • Identifying the decision-making mechanisms that underlie the choice between several alternatives
  • Identification of attitudes towards a product, towards an idea or a problem
  • Identifying the set of values and aspirations of a target segment
  • Drafting an advertising campaign, marketing strategy
  • Establishing the strengths and weaknesses of a concept, program, or product/brand, etc.
• Focus-group research can be a preamble to quantitative research
• Beta testing
• Beta version


  Considered the complete version, not yet ready for the end-user due to lack of tests in real conditions and incorrect errors
• Items that can be in Beta testing stage


  • Websites
  • Operating systems
  • Different applications