[Cipher-Zeoz]

1. Introduction

I am an employee of Licrasoft PLC, a large computer firm that offers the following services:

• Web Design
• Networking
• Web Applications
• Database
• Security
• E-Commerce
• IT Outsourcing
• Streaming Media
• Programming

The Manager of the web applications department has some knowledge of Human Computer Interface but he is also aware that this is a rapidly evolving field and his department needs to keep up to date with all developments.

He has assigned me to research into the different types of interfaces for different purposes and produce this report for the department. He has specifically asked me to provide the following information:

• A description of what HCI is and how it has developed in recent years, describing its uses and applications. To include a description of various interactive devices and their suitability to various environments and users, giving advantages and disadvantages.

• Give examples to show why and how user input should be checked by means of a suitable interface in various situations, providing analysis of the consequences of failure to provide adequate controls to ensure that data is valid and correct.

• Identify the areas where HCI is of particular importance within society, giving examples and a detailed analysis.


2. What Is HCI

HCI (human-computer interaction) is the study of how people interact with computers. It also looks at how technology is designed and how it should be designed to make it easier for people to use. A large number of the major corporations now research HCI to develop fully interactive computers which could make a large profit. In the past a lot of computer companies have not addressed the issues of “user-friendliness” and many people now would argue that they are still not playing enough attention to this factor. But the computer companies say that computers are highly complex products to design and build and the need for the computer to provide services is outrageous.

HCI is also a discipline comprising of expert from many different fields of ICT such as engineering, computer science, psychology, graphic design, and ergonomics. HCI is concerned with the design, evaluation and implementation of interactive technology. It aims to ensure that technology matches people's needs, capabilities and limitations, regardless of whether people work in groups or alone.


3. Experts In The Field Of HCI

Below are just a few of the expert in the field of HCI:

Ben Shneiderman he is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science, also a member of the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and the Institute for Systems Research. Dr Shneiderman is also a founding director of the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory. Ben has also written several books such as Dr. Shneiderman is the author of Software Psychology: Human Factors in Computer and Information Systems (1980) and Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction (1987, third edition 1998).

Donald norman he is all one of the leading experts in the field of HCI. Donald is the executive consulting with the Nielsen Norman Group; also he is a Professor of Computer Science at North-western University. Also Donald is working as a trustee of the Institute of Design (in Chicago), and lecturing at universities and academic conferences around the world. Donald has written several books these include The Design of Everyday Things, Things that Make Us Smart, and The Invisible Computer.


{this is the first 2 pages of a 30 page report}