Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

According to Interaction Design Organization, Human-computer interaction (HCI) is a multidisciplinary field of study focusing on the design of computer technology and, in particular, the interaction between humans (the users) and computers.

Birth of HCI

The first computers we had were very huge and costly. But with the rise of personal computers in 1980s, the very complex peice of machine (computer) was given to hand of public with tons of applications for word processing, audio-video and entertainment and many more. So, the idea of making the computer most usable began to rise. Here, most usable means the user should invest minimum time for learning about the system thus, making use of computers most efficient. From its origins, HCI would expand to incorporate multiple disciplines, such as computer science, cognitive science and human-factors engineering.Those who studied and worked in HCI saw it as a crucial instrument to popularize the idea that the interaction between a computer and the user should resemble a human-to-human, open-ended dialogue. Initially, HCI researchers focused on improving the usability of desktop computers (i.e., practitioners concentrated on how easy computers are to learn and use). However, with the rise of technologies such as the Internet and the smartphone, computer use would increasingly move away from the desktop to embrace the mobile world.

HCI & UX

The term UX is very trending in todays world and just at a glance, these terms might sound very familiar and infact they are too. But HCI is a broad field which overlaps with areas such as user-centered design (UCD), user interface (UI) design and user experience (UX) design. In many ways, HCI was the forerunner to UX design.Practitioners of HCI tend to be more academically focused. They're involved in scientific research and developing empirical understandings of users. Conversely, UX designers are almost invariably industry-focused and involved in building products or services—e.g., smartphone apps and websites. Regardless of this divide, the practical considerations for products that we as UX professionals concern ourselves with have direct links to the findings of HCI specialists about users’ mindsets. With the broader span of topics that HCI covers, UX designers have a wealth of resources to draw from, although much research remains suited to academic audiences.

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