HCI (aka Human Computer Interaction) is an interdisciplinary field focused on the interactions between computer systems and the people who use them. Essentially, it may be described as the study of how people interact with computers and the extent to which these systems are successful in this interaction as a result of how they have been developed.
Early research and development in HCI was primarily concentrated on issues relating directly to user interface whilst nowadays the field is known to be far more broad and attentive to the processes and context for the user interface with a clear focus on understanding the relationships among users’ goals and objectives, their personal capabilities and lastly the social environment.
Early HCI designs were restricted by hardware and were designed to assist programmers rather than novice users with little knowledge of computer systems. It was the case that up until the late 1970s the only people who interacted with computers were IT professionals and dedicated hobbyists. It was the revolutionary emergence of personal computing in the late 1970s that shifted this dynamic and enabled anybody to become a computer user- highlighting the extreme shortcomings of computer systems with respect to usability/accessibility.
Since then, the field of HCI has grown exponentially and continues to exert great influence upon our society, economy and culture.
Society
The primary impact HCI has had upon society is the drastic improvement in the usability of computer systems, all but completely eliminating the need for specialist knowledge. Nowadays, even extremely young children are able to pick up and operate a variety of devices with astonishing ease.
One of the ways the usability of systems has made such rapid headway is through the simplification of user input and output. To take an example from recent years, contactless payment perfectly illustrates the impact of simplified user input. Previously, shoppers were required to enter their pin while paying for various products however the introduction of contactless payment has removed the need for this (provided the product is under £30). This method of payment in combination with other time-saving efforts such as self-service checkouts helps to significantly speed up queue times in places such as supermarkets.
While the public was slow to initially embrace this technology back in 2007, there are now more than 92 million contactless cards in circulation within the UK alone. Whilst convenience is high on the list, one of the most appealing aspects of this form of HCI is the opportunities presented for innovation - primarily due to their viability on smartphones.
Additionally, HCI technology has been paramount to the development of a vast variety of specialised interfaces. These interfaces allow people with a range of physical and mental disabilities access to technology they may not have been able to operate ordinarily, helping to create a far more inclusive society. Even the simplest of settings implemented within operating system technology such as enabling the user the option of altering the text size of their device can make a world of difference to the lives of those with sight problems.
Another example of extremely invaluable specialist HCI is the trackball. This relatively simple technology can be immensely beneficial to people with arthritis or any other condition which may result in restriction of their movement. It minimises the effort required to push a mouse around a computer screen, helping to assist the user in navigating a range of GUI’s.
Furthermore, HCI technology also hugely influences society through the development of interfaces for hostile environments. Areas such as bomb disposal in particular have been transformed by the introduction of HCI technology, with threat to human life dramatically reduced.
Using highly advanced remote control systems, technicians can now disarm bombs and IEDs whilst positioned in safe locations. Eliminating the need to physically approach suspected bombs in order to diffuse them has saved many lives since the technology was first implemented, illustrating the power that HCI technology can hold.
Economy
The productivity per individual is considered one of the most pivotal contributing factors to the profitability of a company. Through the use of HCI; complexity of required input can be massively reduced or the need for human input may even be removed entirely, subsequently increasing the amount of work able to be performed by an individual in a given period of time.
For example, in the dairy industry it used to be the case that bottle tops were screwed on by hand by a large team of workers. Now, thanks to developments in HCI, tops may be screwed on by multiple robotic arms. A single worker may manage several of these arms, resulting in a productivity rate that would have been entirely unachievable should the employee have continued to perform the task manually. This enables the company to employ a smaller workforce able to achieve far more efficient production, resulting in higher profits.
This is an example of large-scale automation. This practice brings with it the advent of more commerce, as a result of products becoming cheaper thanks to increased supply and fewer labour costs during the production stages. In the case of the example used above, the savings made by a dairy factory in relation to the cost of labour may be passed down to consumers through lower prices of milk.
Advancements in HCI technology have also given rise to the widespread popularity of varied work environments. Workers are no longer strictly confined to office spaces and may instead opt to work from home using remote technology. Face to face communication is no longer strictly necessary as workers may access information needed via:
· Mobile communications
· Conference calls
· PDA/portable devices
· Wireless internet
etc.…
Culture
One of the most controversial impacts of HCI upon culture is the idea of ‘deskilling’. This can be seen most obviously through the replacement of artisans and craftsmen with assembly line workers in a number of companies. While this can massively reduce operational costs the practise is heavily criticised as being demoralising for workers.
In industries such as aviation, it has even been described as a threat to public safety.
In 2009, Air France 447 fell out of the sky from 35,000 feet into the Atlantic Ocean killing all on-board. The plane experienced an airspeed sensor failure and the pilots reacted in ways that stalled the aircraft. Despite it being a solvable problem and having 3 pilots aboard, no-one was able to recover the plane before it crashed. With increasing automation on fourth-generation airliners, it’s not often that pilots manually fly the aircraft and so it is thought this horrific accident was a result of deskilling of the pilots.
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