Beyond the UI: product, process and passion

ABSTRACT

Interactive products have definitely improved from the users' perspective in the 20 years since the HCI field emerged. Prior to the 1980s, only a small portion of the population of the western world used computers, primarily scientists, engineers, and financial analysts. Today, almost everyone in developed nations use dozens of computers each day: withdrawing money from the bank, checking out at the grocery store, speed-dialing the cell phone, surfing the web, email to grandmother, and IMing friends to set up an impromptu social event. Interactivity with computers has progressed from command-line operating systems accessible only to gurus to almost invisible operating systems which require almost no attention, from esoteric applications whose functionality was desired by only a few, to depending on computer functionality for almost every aspect of life. The fact that people can and do live in such tight integration with interactive systems is a testament to HCI's contribution to the world. We can declare victory!

REFERENCES

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INDEX TERMS

Primary Classification:
  H. Information Systems
  H.5 INFORMATION INTERFACES AND PRESENTATION (I.7)
      H.5.m Miscellaneous

Keywords:
design and evaluation methods, usability