This course emphasizes the importance of good interfaces and demonstrates how the interaction design methods can have a significant contribution to enhance human interaction with computers and, consequently, to the success of interactive systems.

This course is intended to prepare the students to develop useful and usable interfaces for interactive systems. We will study the human factors in HCI. We will analyse the complete life cycle of interfaces development, and discuss key aspects of the iterative design process, includingthe users and task analysis, the formulation of the users needs, the exploration of possible solutions to address the users requirements, the evaluation of these solutions, the implementation of prototypes and their evaluation.

The course focuses on current theory and practice in interface specification, design, implementation and evaluation, discussing key aspects of the iterative design process. The course also explores the current research in HCI to provide students with an understanding of the range of issues addressed in the field and to make them aware of the most recent advances in this research area.

Knowledge

• Be awareof the importance of the interfaceas a component of an interactive system.
• Understand the human factors which drive the usage of computer systems.
• Understand novel paradigms for human-computer interaction
• Know and apply usability principles.
• Know and apply prototyping techniques.
• Know and apply interfaces evaluation techniques.
• Fit HCI in the engineering project.
• Describe and discuss current research in the field of HCI.

Application

• Analyseandspecify users requirements.
• Iterative design: Design, implement and evaluate user interfaces.
• Develop creative capabilities to come up with innovative solutions for interaction problems.

1. Introduction - Human-Computer Interaction (HCI): What? Why? When?
2. Usability principles
3. Characteristics of interactive systems
4. Human factors in the HCI
5. User centered design and iterative design process
6. User and task analysis
7. Sketching and prototyping
8. Interaction design principles
9. Interaction styles
10. Graphic design
11. Interaction paradigms
12. Evaluation techniques
13. Future perspectives

Recommended

• Dix, A., Finlay, J., Abowd, G. and Beale, R., Human-Computer Interaction. Prentice Hall Europe, London, 2003.
• Norman, D., The Design of Everyday Things. MIT Press, 1998.
• Nielsen, J., Usability Engineering, Academic Press, 1993.

Complementary

• Mullet, K. and Sano, D., Designing Visual Interfaces, Prentice Hall, 1995
• Shneiderman, B., Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction. Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 1998.
• Moggridge, B., Designing Interactions. MIT Press, Massachusetts, 2007.
• Tufte, E., Envisioning Information, Cheshire, Connecticut Graphic Press, 2003.