Week
Five – Blog Article
Rachit
Gupta defines Human Computer Interaction as “a discipline which aims at an established
understanding and designing of different interfaces between humans and
computers in a way that it defines systems that are enjoyable to use, are
engaging and are accessible” (2012). The most important part of the Human
Computer Interaction, or HCI, is the human, and the goal of the experience
should be usability and functionality so as to maximize the enjoyment of the
experience.
“The
involvement of user,” Gupta posits, “is classified under three
categories: physical,
cognitive and affective” (2012). These are, in other words, concerns of
mechanic, interpretation, and impact, respectively. Of these three, the most
recent and most interesting to me, personally, is the affective criterion. How
does one create a lasting experience that stays in the mind after is complete?
Do we resort to novelty or are there more concrete techniques to be applied?
For instance, Gupta brings up the concept of emotion analysis, wherein
computers are able to evaluate human noises, such as gasps, sighs, and the
like. When combined with such tools as eye and body movement tracking, a
computer program could be made to seem almost downright psychic when adapting
itself to a user’s needs. But will such adaptations prove cost effective and
have actual lasting staying power?
Gupta concludes the article with thoughts on the future
of HCI. “… the relationship of the society with the technology will not just be
a user based experience. Unlike today, computers will be flowing everywhere and
most of our lives will be directed by computers” (2012). There are ethical
considerations, such as privacy and human desires, which must go into the
shaping of HCI of tomorrow. We are, as Gupta puts it, dependent on technology.
That is a scary thought to me, as I hear stories of people who show physical
signs of withdraw from not having access to the internet for as little as
several days’ time. How much will technology come to control our lives and will
there be room in the world for both people and progress to share it equally?
Citation
Gupta, R. (2012).
Human computer interaction: A modern overview. International Journal of
Computer Technology and Applications, 3(5), 1736-1740.
Week
Six – Blog Article
Jakob Nielsen, published author and authority on homepage
usability, discusses “The Ten Most Violated Homepage Design Guidelines” in his
article of the same name. “There are ten usability mistakes that about
two-thirds of corporate websites make,” Nielsen claims. “The prevalence of
these errors alone warrants attention, especially since they appear on sites
with significant investment in usable design” (2003). His list, numbered in
order from most frequent to least, is an amusing and entertaining guide to the
“do nots” of the technology world. I will be discussing a few of the standout
highlights as I see them.
“Emphasize what your site offers that's of value to users
and how your services differ from those of key competitors” (Nielsen, 2003). I
have to think this one is intentional on the part of many web designers, which
is why it is so frequently ignored. Many companies are afraid of putting
themselves out there and outright claiming that what they do is better than the
rest without the facts to back it up.
“Use a liquid layout that lets users adjust the homepage
size” (Nielsen, 2003). As an individual with poor eyesight, this one is
particularly beneficial to me as I like to adjust the font sizes on my web
browsers. This also matters to individuals with larger monitors – a subcategory
I also fall into. Likewise, I agree with him that graphics should only be used
for actual content and not clutter and hyperlinks should distinguish between
used and unused.
“Don't include an active link to the homepage on the
homepage” (Nielsen, 2003). This one actually feels a bit pedantic to me.
Uniformity in web page design over the body of a site can lead to easier link
checking even if it is redundant. Of similarly minor detail is his request that
search buttons not be labeled with additional search text.
Ultimately, I
feel that Nielsen makes many good points regarding the streamlining of websites
and usability in general. Reading his treatise brings back a mental image of
those Angelfire and Geocities sites of yesteryear and all their clutter and fuss.
And, while I support anyone’s right to make a fan page for their favorite
sitcom character, the world does not need any more rotating gif images of
traffic cones declaring one’s site to be “Under Construction.”
Citation
Nielsen, J. (2005).
Ten Usability Heuristics. http://www.useit.com/papers/heuristic/heuristic_list.html
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