Learn Human-Computer Interaction

Explore fundamentals, strategies, and emerging techniques in the field of human-computer interaction to enhance how users and computers interact

Key Features

• Explore various HCI techniques and methodologies to enhance the user experience
• Delve into user behavior analytics to solve common and not-so-common challenges faced while designing user interfaces
• Learn essential principles, techniques and explore the future of HCI

Book Description

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a field of study that researches, designs, and develops software solutions that solve human problems. This book will help you understand various aspects of the software development phase, from planning and data gathering through to the design and development of software solutions. The book guides you through implementing methodologies that will help you build robust software.

You will perform data gathering, evaluate user data, and execute data analysis and interpretation techniques. You'll also understand why human-centered methodologies are successful in software development, and learn how to build effective software solutions through practical research processes. The book will even show you how to translate your human understanding into software solutions through validation methods and rapid prototyping leading to usability testing. Later, you will understand how to use effective storytelling to convey the key aspects of your software to users. Throughout the book, you will learn the key concepts with the help of historical figures, best practices, and references to common challenges faced in the software industry.

By the end of this book, you will be well-versed with HCI strategies and methodologies to design effective user interfaces.

What you will learn

• Become well-versed with HCI and UX concepts
• Evaluate prototypes to understand data gathering, analysis, and interpretation techniques
• Execute qualitative and quantitative methods for establishing humans as a feedback loop in the software design process
• Create human-centered solutions and validate these solutions with the help of quantitative testing methods
• Move ideas from the research and definition phase into the software solution phase
• Improve your systems by becoming well-versed with the essential design concepts for creating user interfaces

Who this book is for

This book is for software engineers, UX designers, entrepreneurs, or anyone who is just getting started with user interface design and looking to gain a solid understanding of human-computer interaction and UX design. No prior HCI knowledge is required to get started.

Table of Contents

1. Introducing HCI and UX Design
2. Human Centered Design Principles
3. Interface Design Values
4. Human Centered Thinking for Design and Development
5. Human Centered Methods for User Research
6. User Insights for Software Solutions
7. Storytelling and Rapid Prototyping
8. Validating Software Solutions
9. Improving Software Systems with Data
10. Human Centered Solutions
11. Extending HCI
12. The Future of HCI

Christopher Reid Becker is a senior UX designer and lead curriculum architect (UX/UI) at 2U Inc. He comes with extensive experience in building web-based software and commercial projects accessing design thinking, human-centered user research, UX strategies, UI best practices, and interaction design to build relevant, usable, and useful human-computer interactions.