Human Computer Interaction

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Do you feel the difference in using any computerized application 10 years back and now? Can we take a moment and think about 3 appliances that you used back then?

For me,

1. TV Remote

Ten years back I can watch TV the whole day. I didn't even own a mobile phone back then, forget about smartphones. I used to be glued to the TV and the remote never escape my hand. Despite that, I never really used all the buttons nor did I knew why it was there in the first place.

Fast forward 10 years, today, I seldom watch TV and the remote still stays a puzzle. Now, I watch movies and series on my mobile phone. I usually watch them via Netflix, Hotstar or Amazon Prime. When I am inside Netflix I am presented with only a few buttons to click on, though it's functionally far more powerful than a TV. What happened here? HCI has been vastly improved.

Human-computer interaction is a field that tries to make the interaction of humans with the interface simple and easier. By making it simple, humans don't have to try figuring out how to use the interface (which is the TV remote in the previous scenario) but rather focus on the task( which is watching the movie.)

Next time when you open Netflix, count how many interactions you make before watching your first show. If you still have your good old television with a "fancy" remote try counting the interactions there as well. This will show how HCI has been improved.

2. Music players in Car

Thank god they are smart now. Playing a song from the CD was never an easy task. First, you have to switch it on from the array of buttons. Some doesn't have a button to switch on. They turn on when you insert a CD. (And how do you figure that out?) Then you try inserting the CD, which keeps getting rejected by the player with no error or warning thrown. Miraculously they get accepted when you reinsert it the 10th time. (How many of you tried wiping the CD with your hand and reinserting :P) After successfully inserting the device, Good luck with playing the song you like. There is no means to see the songs on the CD. You move forward and backwards till you find it. No idea why we even have the other buttons.

From only radio to CD players to inserting pen drives now we can play with our Spotify. Eternal bliss. But now we struggle in choosing what to play :P

The UI of the music player has been vastly improved over years, but it still offers a lot of options that can put you into confusion. That means there is space for improvement.

3. Desktop computers.

The look and feel of desktop computers have drastically changed. I am thankful the speed of computers has increased substantially as well. Back in 2010 computers can teach you patience more than anything. Even today our desktop has numerous option and we only use a fraction of them (especially if you are not a programmer - who still use consoles). The consoles or terminals have the same look and feel even today, but they are still efficient. I don't understand why we jumped from a straightforward console to a UI with 1000s of buttons and interactions instead of a simple version with minimum buttons. Now we are trying to making it less complex.

My father purchased our first desktop computer when I was 8 years old. The only software I used was MS Paint. I used to love that app, however, I only used the Pencil option and colouring.

I found a snapshot of the MS paint window back in 2003 (I guess). Look at the snapshot below, why on earth would anyone need an L shape creator on the sidebar? With all the flaws, it was still a great tool. Because you can start drawing withing a minute you opened the tool even if you are opening it for the first time. Also, the tool was not created for an 8-year-old to draw, but it succeeded in doing so.

Pro Tip: Your app will be sometimes used for something you didn't create it for.

So, the appliances we use are much more user friendly today. Thanks to the efforts of all the designers, UI/UX specialists, researchers, PMs and developers behind it. They made our life easier. The above example tells us how HCI has improved over time. Today you interact so much more with computers than you did 5 years ago.

1. Smartphones - They never leave us, they have become substitutes for things you never imagined it would. It's your alarm clock, day planner, recipe generator, grocery shopper, taxi hailer, music player, laptop/desktop computer, buddy and so much more. Mine even reminds me to drink water like my mom.

2. IoT - Smart homes - You fridge, washing machine, OTG, stove, TV everything has become smarter and you interact with them more comfortably today.

3. Softwares - Today software has been replacing tasks we previously did by interacting with people. Especially in workplaces, there are tools for almost everything, you can work without interacting with anyone in person.

This shows that human-human interactions are reducing and human-computer interactions are increasing tremendously. That is why HCI has gained more attention lately, the app that has the best UI wins and gains user base. This can be achieved by applying HCI principles and methodologies. HCI has a long way to go especially with VR, AR and Robots in the picture the whole dynamics are going to change. How do you want to interact with your robot? Just like a human or can we get creative here? HCI has promising growth and it is an essential topic for the future to come.

Summary:

HCI - It's a field that focuses on making the interfaces efficient so that user don't have to spend their time learning and interacting with the interface but rather focus on the task.

In coming weeks I will write more about HCI Principles and Methodologies.

Special addition:

In 2010, I saw Pranav Mistry's ted talk and I assumed in a few years I will be interacting with devices as he did. We haven't reached there yet, but there has been a huge improvement since then. I am waiting to use a mobile phone like him in the video!