Human-Computer Interface (HCI)
Originally, computers were "designed by engineers, for engineers". Little or no attention was, or needed to be, paid to the interface. However, the pervasive use of the personal computer and the increasing number and variety of applications and programs has given rise to a need to focus on the "cognitive locus of human-computer interaction" i.e. the interface. What is the interface? In a very basic sense, the interface is "the place where contact between two entities occurs." The greater the difference between the two entities, the greater the need for a well-designed interface. In this case, the two very different entities are computers and humans. Human-computer interface design looks at how we can lessen the effects of these differences. This means empowering users by providing them with ease of use. "How can we think about it so that the interfaces we design will empower users?" "What does the user want to do?"
User Interfaces (UIs) are part of software programs allow: (1) user to interact with computer; (2) user to carry out their task.
1. Open source resources
Pure Interaction is a formal model on how to encode human-computer interaction. This project will implement the Pure Interaction Corba Interfaces and create an implementation for C++ and X-Windows called the FOH-framework. http://sourceforge.net/projects/pureinteraction/
2. Web pages
http://www.ida.liu.se/labs/aslab/groups/um/hci/
3. Citations
Handbook of human-computer interaction / edited by Martin G. Helander, Thomas K. Landauer, Prasad V. Prabhu. EDITION 2nd, completely rev. ed. PUBL INFO Amsterdam ; New York : Elsevier, 1997. BOTHELL/CCC REFERENCE QA76.9.H85 H36 1997.