Designing Interactive Systems:People, Activities, Contexts, Technologies

Description

Features

• A self-contained introduction followed by a systematic discussion of the influence of human psychology on the design of interactive systems, illustrated by many real-world examples
• Covers hot topics such as affective computing, social navigation and computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW)
• Coverage of a range of current methods, including contextual design and the latest thinking in evaluation
• Takes a human-centred approach to web design
• Introduces scenario-based design
• Running case studies (a home information system and a VR training environment) bring to life the complex real-world nature of HCI problems and demonstrate how they can be resolved using good-practice techniques
• Four colour text features engaging pedagogy such as challenging questions and real-world examples to help students in their learning and understanding and encourage them to think for themselves

Table of Contents

Preface

Publisher's Acknowledgements

Part I: Essential Interactive Systems Design
1. Designing interactive systems - A fusion of skills
2. People, activities, contexts and technologies - A framework for designing interactive systems
3. Principles and practice of interactive systems design
4. The Home Information Centre (HIC) 1: A case study in designing interactive systems

Part II: People and Technologies
5. Understanding people 1: An introduction to cognitive psychology
6. Technology 1: Supporting single user interaction
7. Understanding people 2: Embodied, situated and distributed cognition

Part III: Activities and Contexts of Interactive Systems Design
8. Scenarios
9. Requirements
10. Envisionment
11. Prototyping
12. Evaluation
13. Conceptual and physical design
14. The Home Information Centre (HIC) 2: Development and evaluation

Part IV: Psychological Foundations for Interactive Systems Design
15. Memory, attention and making mistakes
16. Hearing and haptics
17. Affective computing and pleasure

Part V: Techniques for Interactive Systems Design
18. Contextual Design 1: The Contextual Interview and work modelling
19. Contextual Design 2: From models to design
20. Task analysis
21. Further evaluation 1: Generic techniques and current issues
22. Further evaluation 2: Special contexts

Part VI: Information Spaces
23. Information architecture
24. Information design
25. Navigation of information space
26. Agent-based interaction
27. Ubiquitous computing and distributed information

Part VII: Computer-Supported Cooperative Working
28. CSCW 1: Supporting communication
29. CSCW 2: Understanding cooperative working
30. CSCW 3: TEchnology to support cooperation

References and bibliography

Index

Back Cover

Designing Interactive Systems: People, Activities, Contexts, Technologies is an exciting, forward-looking textbook in Human Computer Interaction (HCI). It is suitable for beginners as well as advanced students of HCI and can be used at all stages of the curriculum.

Authoritative in its coverage, the book draws on the authors' extensive experience in research and teaching. A self-contained introduction to the area is followed by a systematic discussion of the influence of human psychology on the design of interactive systems, illustrated by many real-world examples. Next, a practical, scenario-based design method and techniques are presented. Later sections treat hot topics such as affective computing, social navigation and computer-supported cooperative work. A range of current methods, including contextual design and the latest thinking in evaluation, are treated in detail. These more advanced, research-led chapters encourage the reader to reflect critically on the domain as a whole.

The book explores this continually developing discipline by bringing together the most useful aspects of established practice with newer perspectives. The approach recognizes that we have gone beyond computers in the workplace and are concerned with designing engaging interactions between people and a wide range of devices, products and systems.

FEATURES

• Broad coverage to take students of HCI through their entire degree programme.
• Appropriate for students of all levels as well as professionals working in industry.
• Running case-studies (a home information system and a VR training environment) bring to life the complex real-world nature of HCI problems and demonstrate how they can be resolved.
• Full-colour text with a variety of engaging pedagogical features such as challenge questions and real-world examples to help students in their learning and understanding and encourage them to think for themselves.

This book is highly suitable for those studying HCI as part of a course in Software Engineering, Computer Science or similar subjects, and ideal for Human Computer Interaction students and professionals needing to know more about this field.

About the Authors

David Benyon is Professor of Human-Computer Systems at Napier University, Edinburgh.

Phil Turner is Senior Lecturer in Computing at Napier University, Edinburgh.

Susan Turner is Lecturer in Computing at Napier University, Edinburgh.