Book Reading #17: HCI Remixed

Chapter 6: A Creative Programming Environment

Henry Lieberman

MIT Media Lab, Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

D.C. Smith, 1977: "Pygmalion: A Creative Programming Environment."

Summary: Lieberman discusses how the discovery of a not highly published thesis opened many doors to important advancements in the fields of computer science and human-computer interaction. Lieberman as a researcher was interesting in finding new creative ways of making computer programming available for younger generations. Smith's thesis provided him with the foundations and ideas he was looking for in order to gear his research towards this creative way of programming.

Discussion: I think it is amazing how such an application like Pygmalion and the ideas behind it, though not successful, they did inspired and provided the basis for such an important aspect of computer science. More than often we find out that what we less think would be meaningful is what gives us the greatest benefits. It is always interesting to learn about the history of computing overall, this is not something we learn in the classroom.

Chapter 7: Fundamentals in HCI: Learning the Value of Consistency and User Models


Sara Bly
Sara Bly Consulting, Oregon, USA

The  Xerox Red Book: Star Functional Specification, Revision 5.3 for Star-1 1981.

Summary: Sara Bly discusses the impact the Xerox Red Book has had on her research, and on the study and design of user interfaces throughout time. The Xerox Red Book is a functional specification about the user interface implemented for the first Xerox Star workstation. Bly discusses three aspects of the Xerox Red Book that have had the most impact on her: UI specification, consistency and the desktop metaphor.

Discussion: One observation that Bly made and that definitively called my attention was the fact that they were giving user-interfaces a high level of priority, even before developing the workstation itself. Also, it was interesting to read about the first computer that was designed with the intent of aiding office workers... I can see the importance of HCI in this chapter, developing a workstation that would be useful and efficient, that would provide a positive change to workers, for example the undo capability, that a read desk/office environment cannot provide.

Chapter 9: The Disappearing Computer

Norbert A. Streitz
Fraunhofer IPSI, Darmstadt, Germany

M. Weiser, 1991: "The Computer for the 21st Century."

Summary: Streitz provides an overview of the movement encouraging the "disappearing" of computers for the 21st century. By 'disappearing,' they mean integrating computing technology to everyday things to the point that the presence of such technology is irrelevant, but the benefits it provides is the important aspect.  The basis for this revolution came along with a prediction given by Weiser in 1991, "the most profound technologies are those that disappear. They weave themselves into the fabric of everyday life until they are indistinguishable from it."

Discussion: This is a whole new concept to me. I had never heard of such an effort to 'disappear' computers, but it was really interesting and convincing to read about. Today, there are 'computers' embedded in everyday objects, that we as users, do not really think of as a computer. If I would of read this chapter before readings from the Design of Everyday Things (Norman), maybe the understanding of this chapter would have been l
limited. 

Chapter 10: It Really Is All About Location!

Anind K. Dey
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.

R. Want, A. Hopper, V. Falcao, and J. Gibbons, 1992: "The Active Badge Location System"

Summary: Dey discusses the importance and widespread of location-based services and applications. She gives an overview of the research done with the Active Badge location system in the early 1990s at Olivetti Research and how it improved their daily activities at the research center. Dey sees this research as the basis of location-based services and sees it as a predecessor of all the LBS services we have available today.

Discussion: The research done with the Active Badge was definitely impressing. However, when I was reading about it I was wondering in the back of my mind about the privacy issues that this could rise. I was glad they did discuss at least briefly this issue at the end of the chapter. Also, I like to see how all these chapters relate to each other, they mention researches that are discussed previously. I think this is a great way to learn about these people and at least be able to recognize and know a little bit of their contributions to the field of computer science.


Chapter 46: The Essential Role of Mental Models in HCI: Card, Moran and Newell

Kate Ehrlich
IBM Research, Cambriedge, Massachusetts, USA

S.K. Card, T. Moran, and A. Newell, 1983: The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction


Summary: In this chapter, Ehrlich analyzes how different fields of study contribute to HCI, emphasizing in psychology. She discusses the role Mental Models play in HCI, for both design and usability enhancements. She makes reference to the book Card, et al  published in the early 1980's and how it can still be applied today. 

Discussion: I think this chapter really emphasizes the multidisciplinary characteristic of HCI. It is interesting to learn about the controversy that is raised by this combination of fields. From the readings that we have had in this class and the conclusions that I have been able to draw, I can say that the contribution of all these fields is necessary in HCI, and HCI itself is really important for the field of computer science. It is really important to study how well or how bad designs are, the ultimate goal is to provide users with effective, usable and desirable technology, like Norman emphasizes as well in his books.


Chapter 47: A most Fitting Law

Gary M. Olson
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

P.M. Fitts, 1954: "The Information Capacity of the Human Motor System in Controlling the Amplitude of Movement."

Summary: Olson shortly discusses the life and works of Fitts and its impact in the Psychology field as well as HCI.  Olson focuses his discussion  in the movement law that Fitts developed and how it has been applied in HCI in things like the value of the edge of the screen, the pop-up menus, selecting from a pop-up menu, fittsizing a menu, organization of walking menus and expanding items as you move toward them. 

Discussion: Even though the reading about how this formula has impacted HCI and UI is well explained, I still found it a bit confusing to understand. I like how in previous chapter we read about the importance of all these fields that affect the computer science field, and then in this one we see how mathematics, which is something we haven't discussed in this class before, has affected HCI as well.