The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design [Paperback]

Brenda Laurel (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0201517973 | ISBN-13: 978-0201517972 | Publication Date: January 11, 1990 | Edition: 1

"When the concept of the interface first began to emerge, it was commonly understood as the hardware and software through which a human and a computer could communicate. As it has evolved, the concept has come to include the cognitive and emotional aspects of the user's experience as well...The noun, interface is taken to be a discrete and tangible thing that we can map, draw, design, implement, and attach to an existing bundle of functionality. One of the goals of this book is to explode that notion and replace it with one that can guide our work in the right direction." - From the Introduction The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design is an extraordinary work in the field of human-computer interaction. With never-before-published pieces by more than fifty of the major thinkers and explorers in the field, this book provides an intriguing look at some of the most exciting developments in interface design. Readers will discover the newest technologies such as cyberspace, animation, multimedia, and speech recognition and will explore the philosophical and psychological background to creating effective interfaces.The first section of The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design, "Creativity and Design," offers insight into general interface issues. The "Users and Contexts" section details the experiences of a variety of users and designers, providing invaluable input for interface designers. The "Sermons" sections is a collection of thought-provoking pieces by some of the people whose work and points of view have deeply influenced human-computer interaction--Donald Norman, Nicholas Negroponte, Ted Nelson, Alan Kay, Jean-Louis Gassee, Timothy Leary, and Ben Shneiderman. The fourth section, "New Directions," looks at some of the ideas and theories that are on the frontiers of human-computer interface design. A treasury of ideas and opinions from leading thinkers in the computer industry, The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design delves into the strategies, reasoning, and future direction of human-computer interaction and the overall relationship between computers and people. 0201517973B04062001

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

The classic Art of Human-Computer Interface Design is one book that isn't filled with code samples but is nonetheless a thought-provoking resource for developers. The book is a collection of essays from industry luminaries such as Alan Kay, Nicholas Negroponte, and Ted Nelson. Don't expect to read it for hard-and-fast advice on solving your programming problems, but do expect to gain new perspectives on how your users view your applications and what they expect from a computer.

From the Back Cover

"When the concept of the interface first began to emerge, it was commonly understood as the hardware and software through which a human and a computer could communicate. As it has evolved, the concept has come to include the cognitive and emotional aspects of the user's experience as well...The noun, interface is taken to be a discrete and tangible thing that we can map, draw, design, implement, and attach to an existing bundle of functionality. One of the goals of this book is to explode that notion and replace it with one that can guide our work in the right direction."
- From the Introduction

The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design is an extraordinary work in the field of human-computer interaction. With never-before-published pieces by more than fifty of the major thinkers and explorers in the field, this book provides an intriguing look at some of the most exciting developments in interface design. Readers will discover the newest technologies such as cyberspace, animation, multimedia, and speech recognition and will explore the philosophical and psychological background to creating effective interfaces.

The first section of The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design, "Creativity and Design," offers insight into general interface issues. The "Users and Contexts" section details the experiences of a variety of users and designers, providing invaluable input for interface designers. The "Sermons" sections is a collection of thought-provoking pieces by some of the people whose work and points of view have deeply influenced human-computer interaction--Donald Norman, Nicholas Negroponte, Ted Nelson, Alan Kay, Jean-Louis Gassee, Timothy Leary, and Ben Shneiderman. The fourth section, "New Directions," looks at some of the ideas and theories that are on the frontiers of human-computer interface design.

A treasury of ideas and opinions from leading thinkers in the computer industry, The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design delves into the strategies, reasoning, and future direction of human-computer interaction and the overall relationship between computers and people.

0201517973B04062001

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 544 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 1 edition (January 11, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0201517973
• ISBN-13: 978-0201517972
• Product Dimensions: 9.9 x 8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,126,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting, but Macintosh-centric and dated, June 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design (Paperback)

Don't get me wrong, this book has a lot to offer: 500+ pages of it! But it was written in 1990 and it shows.

Almost everyone who has written a paper for this collection has some link to Macintosh (except for Timothy Leary of course). All examples are Macintosh based. And we're not talking G3's here. We're talking Mac II's.

No mention is made of the Web (how could it be?). It does, however, make a lot of good points that are applicable for all User Interface designs.

So, in general, this is a good book for it's time, but it's time has well and truly passed.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Dated, but still very valuable, April 19, 2000

By 

frumiousb "frumiousb" (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design (Paperback)

It's time for this book to be re-collected and updated, I think. Parts of it (particularly the essays grouped under 'Creativity and Design' and 'Users and Contexts') are very useful for today's interface design world. However there are sections (particularly the section on 'New Directions') where it feels *very* dated and really suffers from being written before Internet time.

An extremely impressive group of writers participates. Including: Howard Rheingold, Don Norman, Bruce Tognazzini, Nicholas Negroponte, Alan Kay, Timothy Leary and Gitta Salomon. It's definitely worth a read, but don't be afraid (unless you're a Macintosh history buff) to skip large sections.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An oldie but a goodie, February 8, 2000

By 

Ian Grant (Brooklyn, New York) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Art of Human-Computer Interface Design (Paperback)

This tome is older - there's no getting around that. However, we don't throw out calculus because it is old. This book contains the principals of interface design, and they still apply. (I didn't like the binding, my copy having fallen apart after about 5 or 6 years of use). It is always a refreshing and lively read - even after the eleventeenth read!