Human-Computer Interaction [Paperback]

Alan Dix (Author), Janet Finlay (Author), Gregory Abowd (Author), Russell Beale (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1997

This textbook introduces the foundations of human-computer interaction, covering basic psychology and computer technology, models and methods for interface design and applications. It can be used as a text for a course in HCI or as the basis for a curriculum in HCI, with sections of it being taken separately for single course units. Later parts of the book cover more advanced material, but no initial knowledge is assumed. The authors have combined a broad, yet detailed look at HCI from a psychological and computer science perspective, which emphasizes the design of interactive systems. The text is supported by worked examples and exercises of varying difficulty and suggested projects.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Much has changed since the first edition of human¿computer interaction was published. Ubiquitous computing and rich sensor-filled environments are finding their way out of the laboratory, not just into movies but also into our workplaces and homes. The computer has broken out of its plastic and glass bounds providing us with networked societies where personal computing devices from mobile phones to smart cards fill our pockets and electronic devices surround us at home and work. The web too has grown from a largely academic network into the hub of business and everyday lives. As the distinctions between the physical and the digital, and between work and leisure start to break down, human-computer interaction is also changing radically.

The excitement of these changes is captured in this new edition, which also looks forward to other emerging technologies. However, the book is firmly rooted in strong principles and models independent of the passing technologies of the day: these foundations will be the means by which today¿s students will understand tomorrow¿s technology.

The third edition of human¿computer interaction can be used for introductory and advanced courses on HCI, Interaction Design, Usability or Interactive Systems Design. It will also prove an invaluable reference for professionals wishing to design usable computing devices.

Accompanying the text is a comprehensive website containing a broad range of material for instructors, students and practitioners, a full text search facility for the book, links to many sites of additional interest and much more: go to www.hcibook.com

 

New to this edition:

• A revised structure, reflecting the growth of HCI as a discipline, separates out basic material suitable for introductory courses from more detailed models and theories.
• New chapter on Interaction Design adds material on scenarios and basic navigation design.
• New chapter on Universal Design, substantially extending the coverage of this material in the book.
• Updated and extended treatment of socio/contextual issues.
• Extended and new material on novel interaction, including updated ubicomp material, designing experience, physical sensors and a new chapter on rich interaction.
• Updated material on the web including dynamic content and WAP.

Alan Dix is Professor in the Department of Computing, Lancaster, UK. Janet Finlay is Professor at the School of Computing, Leeds Metropolitan University, UK. Gregory Abowd is Assistant Professor in the College of Computing at Georgia Tech, USA. Russell Beale is lecturer at the School of Computer Science, University of Birmingham, UK.

  --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 512 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall (February 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0134372115
• ISBN-13: 978-0134372112
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.7 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,493,176 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Needs reconstruction, but a good book, April 9, 2006

By 

John Harpur (Trim, Meath, IRELAND) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Human-Computer Interaction (3rd Edition) (Hardcover)

Let me begin by saying that years back I won an international award for something or other to do with contributions to ergonomics - the design of a computer system in fact. I looked at this book as a possible text for an undergraduate course I teach. This is a good book, despite the reviews, if you have the time the read it. It is thorough at the theoretical end and pretty damn thorough at that. If you want to know the history of HCI, recent and possible developments, this is a good book - but it is just too long for most undergrads and this is the main problem. Most undergrads believe that HCI is just pure waffle and in many cases that is unarguable - it takes the likes of Jef Raskin to restore some intellectual credibility to the area.

One the major strikes against this book, and it isn't alone, is the lack of connection with actual software packages in common usage and the alleged 'software engineering' skills they require. For too long HCI books have operated at a distance from actual 'multimedia' software or else have assumed that everyone has a bespoke lab of geniuses under their arms when a novel tool is required. This book, despite the calibre of the authors, does nothing to challenge the "grandstanding" that defines most HCI. Over tweny years ago, when I worked on expert systems, there was a creeping scepticism about their practical value - a solution in search of a problem. I would have liked this book to have done more to convince me that this epithet is not applicable to HCI. I hope the next edition expresses that reassurance.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction to HCI, December 16, 2001

By 

XIAO Fuchun (Vancouver, BC Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Human-Computer Interaction (2nd Edition) (Hardcover)

I used this book for one of my courses in professional computing.
I find this book to be quite readable, the essential and pertinent concepts are well-explained, and the scope of coverage is comprehensive. All the necessary aspects of HCI, the models of the user, interaction, system, are touched on. The chapter regarding the usability paradigms and principles is elucidated in a structured and systematic way, and the chapter on the dialog notations and design introduces some commonly used notations, including Petri Nets, which are also in common use in other IT topics.
This book does not delve into the more esoteric applications and theories behind HCI, but I would not necessary classify that as a shortcoming, for the book was probably never meant to be targetted at advanced researchers anyway.
All in all, I would highly recommend this book to those who want to get into the fundamentals of HCI, be able to use the concepts for practical applications in daily life, and who need a handy reference.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Steer clear if after a quick fix, December 17, 2007

By 

R "splog_the_troll" (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Human-Computer Interaction (3rd Edition) (Hardcover)

A very good book that provides a solid foundation in a clear and easily readable format. If you're after a quick "HCI fix" or are trying to satisfy a course requirement where usability is seen as a niche then look elsewhere. If you want a good understanding of HCI and have a desire to make things more usable then this is a worthwhile read.