What is Human-Computer Interaction? And why is it part of Computer Science?
What is Human-Computer Interaction?
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a multidisciplinary field of study that investigates how people interact with technology.
In 1967, Allen Newell et al. advocated for computer science to extend beyond the study of computation devices and include the study of the phenomena surrounding computers [1]. Since then, academic institutions (primarily in the U.S.) have begun incorporating human values into machine design, collaborating with individuals from seemingly unrelated fields such as design, cognitive science, and social science [1]. However, this is a salient decision as researchers from diverse disciplines need to coordinate their expertise to design and engineer for individuals with different goals and priorities. After all, engineers are trained to think logically and often fail to accept human behavior the way it is.
Why is HCI part of Computer Science?
The field has grown exponentially over the past decades, and it might be said that we are now in the third golden age of HCI [2]. Each age is characterized by distinct focuses:
- First golden age (1980s-1990s): With personal computers becoming mainstream, researchers focused on understanding human behavior to design effective graphical user interfaces (GUIs) and desktop environments. Early principles of usability and interaction design emerged.
Example: The Design of Everyday Things - Second golden age (2000s): The advent of the Internet, mobile devices, and social media shifted researchers’ focus from single-user systems to networked, social, and mobile interfaces. User experience (UX), information architecture, and social computing became popular.
Example: Activity Sensing in the Wild: A Field Trial of UbiFit Garden - Third golden age (2010s — Present): Characterized by ubiquitous computing, artificial intelligence (AI), virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR), voice interfaces, and many more, this era sees a focus on better interpreting natural human behavior and becoming more human-centered (e.g., HCI + AI).
Example: Contestable Camera Cars: A Speculative Design Exploration of Public AI That Is Open and Responsive to Dispute
The trends suggest that, although HCI draws on design principles from diverse fields, the discipline demands substantial engineering of computing systems, thereby explaining its inclusion in the realm of computer science. (of course, the computer science department also tends to receive more funding for conducting research at various scales)
References
[1] https://hcii.cmu.edu/about
[2] https://hcii.cmu.edu/hcii20/stuart-card
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