human computer interaction questions
1. What is human-computer interaction (HCI), and which disciplines contribute to it?
Answer: Simply put, HCI is a field of study that tries to make computer technology more accessible to humans. It analyzes interfaces and interactions between humans and computers and uses that data to improve the interfaces. The main disciplines that contribute to it are computer science, psychology, and design
2. What is the difference between a system being useful and being usable? Can you give an example of a system that is usable but not useful for a particular person or task?
Answer: A useful system is a system that can meaningfully help someone accomplish a specific task. A usable system is one that is easy to use and navigate. I think the perfect example of a usable but not always useful system is Duolingo. It is made to be intuitive and painfully easy to use for learning some basic skills in a given language, but it is hardly useful for someone who wants to achieve actual fluency in a language.
3. Find an everyday interface that is confusing to use. What is the person trying to do, and which design decision causes difficulty? Suggest one improvement.
Answer: The GDPR cookie popups on websites are very confusing because they are essentially an unskippable wall of text that obstructs your view of the webpage you are trying to access, and for the average user it's hard to understand what kind of consent they are even asking for and why. An improvement could be to just summarize the key point in 1-2 sentences and provide 2 clear presets for the user to choose from. Or create a browser-level setting that would allow the user to set a global preference for cookie consent.
4. What is a prototype, and how can testing one with users help a designer? What is one thing that asking “Do you like it?” would not tell you?
Answer: A prototype is a model of the product made at an early stage in production. The main way testing prototypes with users helps is that it exposes where the users get stuck or confused, so that the designers can improve the design before the product is released. One thing a question like "do you like it?" would not tell you is how efficiently the product can actually be used. The user may like it for many different reasons, but the user does not necessarily know how a more efficient workflow with the given product would look like.
5. Find one example of interaction beyond a keyboard and mouse, such as voice input or a tangible interface. Who might benefit, and how would you test whether it helps them?
Answer: I think adaptive gaming controllers are a great example. They are extremely beneficial for players with disabilities, because physical and cognitive disabilities are numerous and manifest themselves in numerous ways, so they are made to be extensively customizable. The way to test whether it helps them would be to commission extensive testing with players with various disabilities and gather feedback for every proposed design prototype.
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