Human-Computer Interaction

Most of us interact with computers daily. Whether you’re sending an email from your laptop, looking up directions on your phone, streaming a movie on your smart TV, or scanning your groceries at a self-checkout, you’re engaging in a form of two-way communication with a computer. These encounters are only increasing in frequency as society becomes rapidly digitized.

With the emergence of new technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, there’s always more to learn about how humans and computers interact. As such, studying human-computer interaction is fundamental to creating systems that align with the needs, behaviors, and experiences of users.

Put simply, human-computer interaction (HCI) refers to the field of research dedicated to understanding and improving interactions between humans and computers. HCI is a multidisciplinary field, combining elements of computer science, design, psychology, ergonomics, and usability engineering to determine how we can design and implement interactive computer interfaces that meet the needs of the user—and ultimately enhance the user experience.¹

Taking input from these various disciplines, HCI consolidates what we know about both computers and humans into one integrative field of study. On the computer side, HCI studies operating systems, computer interfaces, and programming languages. On the human side, HCI studies user experience, linguistics, social sciences, and various psychological disciplines including behavioral science, cognitive psychology, and social psychology.

As you can see, the field of HCI is vast and far-reaching. To simplify the concept, HCI can be broken into four main components:

• The user: The individual using the computer. This component focuses on the user’s individual experiences, preferences, emotions, and behaviors.
• The goal-oriented task: The objective or goal of the user. This component considers the workflows and processes of users when interacting with a system.
• The interface: The hardware and software that allows users to interact with the computer.
• The context: The environmental and situational factors that influence human-computer interactions, from lighting and noise to policies and cultural norms.

Understanding these four components helps designers create computer interfaces that allow users to accomplish tasks in specific contexts of use. Thus, HCI is concerned with creating digital systems that are user-based, task-oriented, and contextually appropriate. For example, when designing a smart home device, HCI principles ensure homeowners can control and monitor their home via convenient features like voice commands and automated schedules.