cs 3724 Introduction to HCI Dr Chris North

cs 3724: Introduction to HCI Dr. Chris North GTA: Beth Yost

WELCOME TO THE NEXT LEVEL

“Toto, I don’t think we’re in 2604 anymore. ” • • Class discussion, participation HWs/Projects: open-ended Group project Student presentations

Course Mechanics • Prerequisite forms: • 2604: CS >=C, ECE >=C-, else >F • Texts: • Usability Engineering, by Rosson & Carroll • Teach yourself Java 2 in 21 days, SAMS (optional) • http: //courses. cs. vt. edu • Office hours: after class, 619 Mc. B • GTA hours: T Th 10 -noon, 133 Mc. B ?

Grading • • 25% 5% 40% 30% Homeworks (4) Class presentation Project Exams (midterm, final) • Project: java, groups of 2 students • Project milestones: • • Design Initial implementation Usability evaluation Final implementation

? ? ? • • • What is it? Who cares? Why is it hard? How does it work? What will I learn?

What is HCI?

What is HCI? Human-Computer Interaction

What is HCI? Human-Computer Interaction • Design • Development • Evaluation of user interfaces for computer systems

Huh? An example: Home. Finder

Apartments. com

Hit List

Home. Finder

The Goal Usability • People are trying to accomplish their tasks in life. (system independent) task person system • Introduce a system, User Interface should maximize their ability.

Who Cares? 1. Everything is a User Interface

Doors

More Doors

Communication Channels • System to human: • system, world • Human to system: •

Who Cares? 1. Everything is a User Interface 2. The User Interface is Everything

Florida Cares! • Human error: Who’s fault is it?

Why is it so hard?

Why is it so hard? Programmers stink at Usability

Why is it so hard? Programmers stink at Usability • • don’t think like normal people know the software internals, technology first enjoy systems more than people arrogant (my software!)

Usability is hard • • • People (users) are all different People are unpredictable Design skill isn’t enough Evaluation with users is required Designer’s pride New ways to think, break out of the box

How does it work? Usability Engineering Design Evaluate Develop many iterations

What will I learn? • Principles • Requirements • Activity design • Information design • Interaction design Evaluate • Usability evaluation • Controlled experiments Design Develop • GUI programming • Widgets, graphics, animation • Java, Swing • Data-driven applications

Grander Goals? • Get angry! • Mental shift: • From system-centered design to user-centered design • Break out of the box

Homework #0: UI Measurement • • • Read UE ch 1 See website Pick a movie of your choice Task: find a convenient playing time and location Use 3 different systems: • 1 -800 -555 -TELL • www. moviefone. com • www. hollywood. com/showtimes/ • Write down the time it takes you for each • Bring your times to class on Wed