CS213: Human-Computer Interaction Fundamentals

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards reviewing the concepts, principles, history, metrics, and accessibility standards of Human-Computer Interaction based on CS213 lecture slides.

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

A multidisciplinary field focused on the design, evaluation, and implementation of interactive computing systems for human use, plus the study of major phenomena surrounding them.

Human Factors

The HCI component focused on understanding users' capabilities, limitations, and needs, including cognitive psychology, physiological aspects, and social factors.

Computer Factors

The HCI component addressing technological aspects of interactive systems, including input/output devices, system architecture, and graphics capabilities.

Interaction Factors

The HCI component focusing on the bridge between humans and computers, including design methodologies, evaluation techniques, and implementation approaches.

Automaticity

A cognitive phenomenon where an interface becomes seemingly invisible through use as users develop automated behaviors and focus solely on their tasks.

Mainframe Era (1940s–1970s)

A computing era characterized by room-sized machines operated via command-line interfaces by technical specialists, where functionality and efficiency were prioritized over usability.

Personal Computing Revolution (1970s–1990s)

A computing era enabled by microprocessors and graphical user interfaces (GUIs) from Xerox PARC, Apple, and Microsoft, marking the birth of modern HCI as a discipline.

Internet and Web Era (1990s–2000s)

A computing era where the World Wide Web transformed computers into communication tools, establishing web usability as a critical field and popularizing Jakob Nielsen's heuristics.

Mobile and Ubiquitous Computing (2000s–Present)

A computing era where touch, voice, and gesture interfaces shifted computing from a dedicated activity to an ambient, continuous experience requiring context-aware design.

Safety (HCI Goal)

The foundational HCI goal of protecting users from dangerous conditions and undesirable situations, including physical harm, data loss, privacy breaches, and psychological stress.

Utility (HCI Goal)

The extent to which an interactive system provides the right kind of functionality so that users can accomplish their tasks and fulfill their needs.

Feature Bloat

The practice of adding excessive features that overwhelm users, increase complexity and maintenance costs, and obscure essential functions.

Progressive Disclosure

An interaction design technique that presents only essential information initially and reveals advanced functionality gradually as the user requires it.

Efficiency (HCI Goal)

A measure of how quickly users can accomplish their goals or complete tasks using a system, minimizing required time, effort, and resources while maximizing productivity.

Usability (HCI Goal)

A measure of how easy and pleasant an interface is to use, comprising five primary components: learnability, memorability, efficiency, error prevention & recovery, and satisfaction.

System Usability Scale (SUS)

A standardized questionnaire used to collect subjective user assessments and evaluate the overall usability of an interactive system.

Appeal (HCI Goal)

The aesthetic and emotional qualities of an interface that make it attractive, engaging, and enjoyable, fostering trust and emotional attachment.

Emotional Design Levels

Don Norman's framework dividing emotional reaction into three levels: visceral (immediate visual appearance), behavioral (satisfaction during use), and reflective (long-term relationship and meaning).

WIMP Paradigm

An interface model based on Windows, Icons, Menus, and Pointer, first introduced on the Xerox Alto in 1973.

Direct Manipulation

An interaction style where users perform actions directly on visible representations of data or system objects rather than executing command syntax.

Desktop Metaphor

An interface organizational concept that structures the screen like a physical office desk using digital counterparts of files, folders, and a trash can.

WYSIWYG

An acronym standing for 'What You See Is What You Get,' describing systems where content displayed on screen closely matches the final printed or rendered output.

Zero-UI Design

Interfaces that operate without traditional graphical screens or visual elements, relying instead on spoken language, audio, or automated sensing.

Brain-Computer Interfaces (BCIs)

Direct communication pathways established between the brain and external devices using non-invasive methods like EEG or invasive implants like Neuralink.

Ambient and Calm Computing

Systems that operate seamlessly in the background to provide context-aware information and services without demanding the user's explicit attention.

Compatibility Principle

The interface design principle stating that controls and displays should align with users' expectations derived from real-world knowledge, conventions, and mental models.

Physical Compatibility

A form of compatibility where the movement and direction of an interface control align directly with its physical real-world effect.

Conceptual Compatibility

A form of compatibility where interface elements match the user's mental model of how an item or process works (such as using a trash can icon for deletion).

Cultural Compatibility

The alignment of interface elements with regional cultural conventions, symbols, and expectations, such as differing cultural meanings of colors.

Movement Compatibility

The alignment between how a control moves and how its corresponding indicator or system state changes (such as sliding upward to increase value).

Learnability

An aspect of usability measuring how quickly and easily first-time users can understand an interface and accomplish basic tasks.

Memorability

An aspect of usability measuring how easily users can reestablish proficiency with an interface after an extended period of non-use.

Recognition over Recall

A design heuristic emphasizing that interface elements, options, and actions should be made visible so users do not need to retrieve them from memory.

Predictability

The quality of an interface that allows users to accurately anticipate what will happen before executing an interaction.

Flexibility

The capacity of an interface to accommodate diverse user preferences, skills, and contexts via customization, adaptability, and multiple interaction paths.

0.1-Second Response Threshold

The system response time threshold ($0.1\,\text{s}$) at which an interaction is perceived by the user as instantaneous.

1.0-Second Response Threshold

The system response time threshold ($1.0\,\text{s}$) where a user notices a slight delay but their uninterrupted train of thought and flow are maintained.

10-Second Response Threshold

The system delay limit ($\ge 10\,\text{s}$) beyond which the user's attention is lost and they switch to secondary tasks.

Visibility (Norman's Principle)

The design principle stating that the more visible available functions are, the more readily users know what action to take next.

Feedback (Norman's Principle)

The design principle of returning immediate, perceptible information (audio, tactile, or visual) to confirm what action has been taken and accomplished.

Constraints (Norman's Principle)

The design technique of restricting possible user actions at a given moment to prevent errors and guide proper usage.

Mapping (Norman's Principle)

The structural and spatial relationship between interface controls and their corresponding effects in the system or real world.

Consistency (Norman's Principle)

The design principle of applying similar operations and visual elements across tasks and screens to reinforce predictable rules.

Affordance

The relationship between the physical or visual properties of an object and the capabilities of an agent that suggests how the object can be used.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

A standardized set of guidelines for digital accessibility structured around four foundational principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR).

WCAG Conformance Levels

The three tiers of WCAG compliance: Level A (minimum accessibility addressing major barriers), Level AA (the common standard addressing significant barriers), and Level AAA (the highest accessibility tier).