Introduction
The capacity of humans to do many things has only been accelerated through the help of technology, especially computers. From desktops that can be customized to one’s needs and budget, to laptops that can bring tasks on the go, to smartphones that are always with us, computing is a part of our daily lives. If computers are for everyone, care must be taken to ensure that using one is easy to do and easy to understand. No one can consistently use a program with a non-intuitive design well– at best, it is annoying; at worst, it slows the user’s ability to be productive. Knowing both the aspects of the human and computer is vital to making well-designed programs or interfaces that serve a wide variety of people.
The Human Aspects
For the human aspects, they include how information is processed, stored, and interpreted afterwards; as well as how humans interact with their computer and their environment. These human aspects influence how programs are designed. We receive information using various sensory channels such as vision, hearing, and touch. These sensory systems work together to receive and understand information, from seeing shapes, colors and text; to hearing jingles of notifications and the subtle differences between sounds; to the sensation of vibrations and the speed of our reflexes.
These work together with human memory. We store information of varying importance in different parts of memory, with sensory information towards sensory memory, and short and long term memory for small details and important information respectively.
The information taken in and stored is then processed. Humans process information gained and their responses through prior experience and skills acquired. These responses are prone to errors, influenced by their emotional state, multiple interpretations, and varying capabilities among individuals.
The Computing Aspect
Knowing the human aspects that influence the computing experience is only the first part. Computers also play an important role in human-computer interaction with their hardware and software.
The most prominent features of the computer are where the user sends and receives information. Input devices such as keyboards, mice, touch screens, and voice recognition systems have similar functions in sending information to the computer. Different types of inputs are suitable for different applications, like keyboards for typing documents and touch screens for manipulating objects directly on screen. For the user to then receive information, devices such as monitors, printers, speakers, and projectors serve to send information back to the user through visual, sound, haptics, etc. There are even use cases for more unorthodox input/output experiences, such as virtual reality. Because they are so fundamental to the computing experience, care must be taken that input and output devices are ergonomic to use and interact with to reduce strain and enhance comfort.
All the processes done to make these interactions possible are only made possible with the processing power and memory in the machine being used. Having adequate processors and ample storage ensures that more can be done smoother and faster, which makes the experience of the user positive.
Programs should also consider the skill level of its users. Different people and different applications need different interaction models, whether by direct manipulation for interacting with objects directly, command lines for experienced technicians, menu selections and forms for entering and selecting details, or using natural language processing in AI applications. Interaction models should be chosen by which one is most intuitive for the task the user wants to accomplish.
Conclusion
Both the human and machine elements have to work together to create a favorable and positive computing environment. So many factors have to be considered when making a natural, straightforward, and stress-free experience, but when all these come together, they perform better, use computers more effectively, and blend in with people’s lives as a way to enhance them, as opposed to being a hindrance.
Posted using Honouree