HCI Reading Journal - Journal #2 - Research Paper Example

HCI Reading Journal - Journal #2 Number: Lecturer: HCI Reading Journal - Journal #2 Observation Human -computer interaction is an interesting yet very important aspect in today’s information technology age. It ultimately determines our ability to appreciate the technology or not. My first observation was with my iPhone Smartphone; it took me a week to comfortably use the device without any difficulty. This was due to the immense difference that it had over the normal feature phone that I previously used.

I was accorded unlimited ability to customize the device to suite my needs. Additionally, it interface was interactive and user friendly. According to Heim (2008), the design of an interface always determines the effectiveness of its usability and functionality. However I must add that an interface goes beyond this. It might sound strange but I think I have some emotional attachment to my Smartphone its interface is so interactive and convenient that I sometimes feel incomplete without it. It has totally changed m experience in many ways.

Observation 2My nephew who is about 2 years is fond of me; he would jump at the sound of my voice. But that was before I realized that after the normal hug he would go straight for my phone and keep pressing the screen and motioning me to open an application that has an animation of a cat that would repeat any sound he makes. I could see he was excited and totally loved it. I thought this was normal but once we started this class I was able to understand the role played by design. According to Heim (2008), cognitive aspect of design determines the effectiveness of the interface.

At this early age the kid was able to create a perception of the interface and consequently create an attachment. In essence, the interface was able to achieve its purpose due to the adequate thought put into its cognitive design.Observation 3In my local town, there is an ATM boot that has three ATM machines placed in one row. The machines work alright and are very convenient. I did not see any problem in this setup until I read in Heims text about the consideration of public computers in relation to work space.

In his argument, Heim (2008) postulates that design should consider the working space needed for a particular device. This opened my mind regarding the ATM machines; the working space is so small you literally can brush your shoulders when moving from one machine to another. This not only affects the comfort that should be accorded to a public computer but most importantly infringes on privacy. This is something that needs to be addressed in public computing devices that are used by hundreds of people in a single day.

Observation 4I never used to wear spectacles until after the first semester of my course. I started to feel some pain in my eyes after long hours on the computer and I was referred to an eye specialist. I later came to realize that I was exposed to too much light from my laptop and the computer lab machines. I simply needed to adjust the brightness and occasionally use antiglare lens. I had to undergo all that process to realize that I could solve this by adjusting the display to suit my needs.

I realized that color, brightness and contrast affect vision of an interface and must be considered in design. This was among Heims design considerations.Observation 5I never thought much about audio feedbacks we receive from computers particularly the laptop. As things get hectic in my studies I am forced to spend much time doing a lot of tasks simultaneously in my computer. Believe me in such situations you will not notice other things happening because your concentration is on something else.

After reading what Heim had to say about audio feedback I decided to switch on sound notifications and life got simpler. I knew when updates are complete, when downloads are complete, I got notifications when there is a virus threat among others. I could be typing away without realizing that my battery is almost empty or fully charged. A simple beep alerts me to either connect or disconnect my charger.ReferencesHeim, S.(2008). The resonant interface: HCI foundations for interaction design. Boston, MA: Pearson Education Inc.