TME3423/TMI3053/TMS3843/TMT3683

Human Computer Interaction

Unit 1: Foundation of HCI

Considerations
Agenda
 Introduction to HCI
 HCI, ID, Usability and UX
 The importance of HCI
 Types of user interfaces
 Considerations

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Considerations
 The core philosophy of HCI is to provide safe, usable and
efficient systems to everyone

 This includes users with

 different sets of abilities,
 different ranges of expertise and knowledge,
 from marginalized groups or minorities

 Any system designed with HCI in mind will and should be

maximally accessible to ALL users

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Considerations
 This section will discuss the following considerations:
 Inclusive design
 Accessible design
 Cultural differences
 For specific users

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Inclusive design
 Inclusive design takes into consideration the full range of
human diversity with respect to forms of human
differences
 Ability, language, culture, gender, age, etc.

 Inclusive design intentionally include the needs of users in

the product design, to
 meet user requirements
 respect the needs and expectations of the diverse range of users

Further reading:
https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/principles/design-systems/what-is-inclusive-design-principles-and-examples/
https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/beginners-guide-inclusive-design/
https://uxdesign.cc/a-beginners-guide-to-inclusive-ux-design-b8dcc94f5068 5
Inclusive design
 The goal of inclusive design is to make users feel included and
to ensure the product’s UX takes into consideration a diverse
group of users

 Inclusion is important to avoid negative user experiences

 Avoid negative experiences e.g. barriers, denied access, discriminatory/alienation,
frustration, offensive, insensitivity, stereotyping, appropriation etc.
 Boost image of the product and position as market leader
 Boost sales/downloads as the product can be used by a larger and more diverse group of
users

 Empathy for a diverse user audience is a key component of

inclusive design
Further reading:
https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/principles/design-systems/what-is-inclusive-design-principles-and-examples/
https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/beginners-guide-inclusive-design/
https://uxdesign.cc/a-beginners-guide-to-inclusive-ux-design-b8dcc94f5068 6
Inclusive design
 What to consider in inclusive design
 Abilities/disabilities
 Computer literacy and skills
 Income/economic situation
 Education
 Geographic location
 Culture and religion
 Age
 Language
 Gender and sexual orientation
 Access to and quality of hardware, software, and Internet connectivity For example, smartphones
designed for all and made
available to everyone
regardless of the above
Accessible design
 Accessible design:
 focuses on the different levels of users’ abilities,
and
 minimizes the barriers so that products can be
accessed and used by users with disabilities

 Accessible design is one of the many

aspects of inclusive design

Further reading:
https://xd.adobe.com/ideas/principles/design-systems/what-is-inclusive-design-principles-and-examples/
https://careerfoundry.com/en/blog/ux-design/beginners-guide-inclusive-design/
https://uxdesign.cc/a-beginners-guide-to-inclusive-ux-design-b8dcc94f5068
Accessible design
 Types of disabilities
 Permanent, situational, or temporary disabilities
 Mental or physical disabilities

 The areas of disabilities include:

 Vision (sight)
 Hearing
 Motor/mobility/dexterity (movement)
 Speech (spoken words)
 Cognition/memory (thinking)
 Learning
Accessible design

 Example: Apple Accessibility Support

 Accessibility features are built into Apple’s products – iPhone, iPad, Mac, Watch, TV, HomePod
 For users with vision, hearing, mobility and learning disabilities

Watch video here:

https://www.apple.com/accessibility/
Accessible design
 Example: Apple Accessibility Support
(https://www.apple.com/accessibility/)

Vision Hearing
• VoiceOver • Live Listen – use with hearing aids
• Display Accommodations – filters for colour • Sign language communication: FaceTime high
blindness quality video and fast frame rate
• Magnifier (camera & Zoom) • LED flash – incoming notification
• Upsize text • Type a note to Siri

Mobility Learning
• Switch Control • SpeakScreen – read text on screen
• Voice control – Siri Shortcuts • Typing Feedback – spoken feedback on text
• AssistiveTouch corrections and word suggestions
• Accesibility Keyboard • Guided Access – limit amount of time spent
on an app
• Safari Reader – reduces visual clutter to
avoid sensory overload
Accessible design
 Example: Android Accessibility Suite
 Screen reader: TalkBack, Select to Speak
 Display: size, magnification, contrast & colour options
 Interaction controls: Voice Access, Switch Access
 Braille display: BrailleBack (can be used with TalkBack)
 Audio & on-screen text: Captions, Live Transcribe, Sound Amplifier

 Previously an app only but Google has built a suite

 Built in to many Android devices (some works only on Android 7.0 and up)

 Read more:
https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/6006564?hl=en
Cultural differences
 Taking into consideration the cultures of the users include
ensuring products are either:
 universally accepted by people from all parts of the world OR
 accepted by the target user group
Cultural differences
 Examples:
 1/9/2019 vs. 9/1/2019 – does this mean the same, or not? Which should be used for
international services and online forms?
 1/9/2019 can be 1 September, or 9 January – depends on which part of the world you are
from

 Alphabet system – reading from left to right (e.g. Latin), or right to left (e.g.
Arabic)

 Colour or icon representations

Specific users
 Taking into considerations the needs of people with
specific needs
 Senior citizens/the elderly
 Children (child computing interaction)
 Children with special needs
 People of specific demographics (e.g. rural vs urban users)
 New/casual users vs expert/power users
 Occupation
 Athletes
 Etc.

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Summary
Introduction to HCI, ID, The Types of user Considerations
HCI Usability and importance of interfaces
UX HCI
Definition Relationship Why do we Available Designing for
Brief history between HCI, need to design interfaces for users with
ID, Usability computing the past 40 considerations
and UX systems with years of their
HCI attributes

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