COSC67 Dartmouth 1 - Intro to Human Computer Interaction.pdf

HCI・F25・Intro
WELCOME TO
COSC 67/267 • FALL 2025
Human-Computer
Interaction
@ DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
Instr. NIKHIL SINGH
dartgo.org/
hci-intro-form-f25

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Asst. Prof of Computer Science

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Came to Dartmouth in Jan. 2025
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Came to Dartmouth in Jan. 2025
Previously:
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Came to Dartmouth in Jan. 2025
Previously:
PhD @ MIT in 2024
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Came to Dartmouth in Jan. 2025
Previously:
PhD @ MIT in 2024
Musician, composer, & producer
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Came to Dartmouth in Jan. 2025
Previously:
PhD @ MIT in 2024
Musician, composer, & producer
Office Hours [MIGHT CHANGE]:
Mondays, 11am–1pm (ECSC 013)
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Came to Dartmouth in Jan. 2025
Previously:
PhD @ MIT in 2024
Musician, composer, & producer
Office Hours [MIGHT CHANGE]:
Mondays, 11am–1pm (ECSC 013)
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems
Research Interests

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Came to Dartmouth in Jan. 2025
Previously:
PhD @ MIT in 2024
Musician, composer, & producer
Office Hours [MIGHT CHANGE]:
Mondays, 11am–1pm (ECSC 013)
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems
Research Interests
Building AI for People

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Came to Dartmouth in Jan. 2025
Previously:
PhD @ MIT in 2024
Musician, composer, & producer
Office Hours [MIGHT CHANGE]:
Mondays, 11am–1pm (ECSC 013)
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems
Research Interests
Building AI for People
Channels for Human-AI
Communication

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
2
INTRO
ME
Co-Director (2025–2026), Digital Arts @ CS
Came to Dartmouth in Jan. 2025
Previously:
PhD @ MIT in 2024
Musician, composer, & producer
Office Hours [MIGHT CHANGE]:
Mondays, 11am–1pm (ECSC 013)
Asst. Prof of Computer Science
Director,
LAB
Science & Art of Human-AI Systems
Research Interests
Building AI for People
Channels for Human-AI
Communication
Designing for Human Benefit

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
3
INTRO
STAFF
Noah Schaffer
CS PhD
Jemely Robles
MSDA
Cindy Liu Jiayi
MSDA
Ranvir Deshmukh
CS ‘26
Yanjun Cui
CS PhD
Claire Draeger
MSDA
Leah Branstetter
MSDA
Joye Xu
MSDA
Goutham Nalagatla
MSCS
Rohan Ray
CS ‘26

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
4
INTRO
YOU
dartgo.org/hci-intro-form-f25

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
5
INTRO
HCI
What is human-computer interaction?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
6
INTRO
HCI
What is human-computer interaction?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
6
INTRO
HCI
What is human-computer interaction?
…a discipline concerned with the

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
6
INTRO
HCI
What is human-computer interaction?
…a discipline concerned with the
design, evaluation and implementation of

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
6
INTRO
HCI
What is human-computer interaction?
…a discipline concerned with the
design, evaluation and implementation of
interactive computing systems for human use

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
6
INTRO
HCI
What is human-computer interaction?
…a discipline concerned with the
design, evaluation and implementation of
interactive computing systems for human use
and with the study of

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
6
INTRO
HCI
What is human-computer interaction?
…a discipline concerned with the
design, evaluation and implementation of
interactive computing systems for human use
and with the study of
major phenomena surrounding them.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
6
INTRO
HCI
What is human-computer interaction?
…a discipline concerned with the
design, evaluation and implementation of
interactive computing systems for human use
and with the study of
major phenomena surrounding them.
— ACM Task Force (1992)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
7
INTRO
HCI
OK fine but… why study HCI?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
7
INTRO
HCI
OK fine but… why study HCI?
What is fundamentally different about interacting with
a computer vs. with any other tool?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
8
INTRO
HCI

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
8
INTRO
HCI
Economics can be seen as trying to solve the
problem of scarcity, i.e. how to allocate limited
resources among unlimited wants.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
8
INTRO
HCI
Economics can be seen as trying to solve the
problem of scarcity, i.e. how to allocate limited
resources among unlimited wants.
John Maynard Keynes envisioned conditions
where this problem might end: technological
abundance making scarcity obsolete.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
8
INTRO
HCI
Economics can be seen as trying to solve the
problem of scarcity, i.e. how to allocate limited
resources among unlimited wants.
John Maynard Keynes envisioned conditions
where this problem might end: technological
abundance making scarcity obsolete.
What is the fundamental problem that
human-computer interaction tries to solve?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
8
INTRO
HCI
Economics can be seen as trying to solve the
problem of scarcity, i.e. how to allocate limited
resources among unlimited wants.
John Maynard Keynes envisioned conditions
where this problem might end: technological
abundance making scarcity obsolete.
Could this problem ever be solved completely?
What is the fundamental problem that
human-computer interaction tries to solve?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
9
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
10
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
10
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 1

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
10
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 1
Control Problem

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
10
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 1
Control Problem
Computers are powerful but not inherently intelligible.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
10
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 1
Control Problem
Computers are powerful but not inherently intelligible.
HCI solves the problem of how humans can specify, influence, and harness computational processes without
needing to work at machine logic level.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
10
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 1
Control Problem
Computers are powerful but not inherently intelligible.
HCI solves the problem of how humans can specify, influence, and harness computational processes without
needing to work at machine logic level.
Therefore, HCI allocates control over computation.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
11
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 2
Translation Problem

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
11
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 2
Translation Problem
Humans think/act in perceptual, motor, and social terms.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
11
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 2
Translation Problem
Humans think/act in perceptual, motor, and social terms.
Computers work in symbols, data, and algorithmic processes.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
11
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 2
Translation Problem
Humans think/act in perceptual, motor, and social terms.
Computers work in symbols, data, and algorithmic processes.
HCI solves the problem of translating between human representations and machine representations.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
12
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 3
Attention Bottleneck Problem

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
12
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 3
Attention Bottleneck Problem
The computer can process lots of data.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
12
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 3
Attention Bottleneck Problem
The computer can process lots of data.
The human has (more) finite bandwidth.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
12
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 3
Attention Bottleneck Problem
The computer can process lots of data.
The human has (more) finite bandwidth.
HCI solves the problem of channeling limited human attention/action into effective interaction with potentially
infinite computational capacity.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
13
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 4
Appropriation Problem

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
13
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 4
Appropriation Problem
The computer is a general-purpose technology (AKA the other GPT).

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
13
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 4
Appropriation Problem
The computer is a general-purpose technology (AKA the other GPT).
People’s goals are idiosyncratic and contextual.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
13
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate 4
Appropriation Problem
The computer is a general-purpose technology (AKA the other GPT).
People’s goals are idiosyncratic and contextual.
HCI solves the problem of allowing humans to appropriate general computational power for situated purposes.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
14
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate N
The HCI Problem

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
14
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate N
The HCI Problem
In summary, we might argue that
HCI tries to solve the problem of aligning human intent with computational operations.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
15
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
Candidate N
The HCI Problem
In summary, we might argue that
HCI tries to solve the problem of aligning human intent with computational operations.
Except, like with Economics…
when you try to solve that problem, many other interesting ones emerge!

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
16
INTRO
HCI
What is the fundamental problem that human-computer interaction tries to solve?
In this course:
study many such local problems, keeping in mind the global motivating problem of
aligning human intent with computational operations

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
17
INTRO
HCI
OK great but… why?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
17
INTRO
HCI
OK great but… why?
Where exactly does HCI come from?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
17
INTRO
HCI
OK great but… why?
Where exactly does HCI come from?
When did we start thinking about this or
realize it was important?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
17
INTRO
HCI
OK great but… why?
Where exactly does HCI come from?
When did we start thinking about this or
realize it was important?
Maybe when we realized how clunky the first
computers were?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
18
INTRO
HCI
To answer these questions & more…
I’m going to introduce you to HCI in
eight claims or assertions.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
19

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
19
ASSERTION 1

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
19
ASSERTION 1
Human–computer interaction
predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
20
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
20
Part 1A
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
20
Part 1A
People were thinking about HCI before
computers (as we know them) existed
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
21
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
21
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace
(1815–1852)
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
21
“The Analytical Engine has no pretensions
whatever to originate any thing. It can do
whatever we know how to order it to perform.”
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace
(1815–1852)
}
“Lovelace’s
Objection”
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
21
“The Analytical Engine has no pretensions
whatever to originate any thing. It can do
whatever we know how to order it to perform.”
Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace
(1815–1852)
“…it is likely to exert an indirect and reciprocal
influence on science itself in another manner…
There are in all extensions of human power…”
}
“Lovelace’s
Objection”
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
22
Vannevar Bush, Some Guy
(1890–1974)
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
23
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
24
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.
Part 1B
Interfaces are evolutionary adaptations of
existing human practices

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
25
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
26
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
26
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.
Turns out, doing this stuff is
kinda useful!

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
26
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.
Turns out, doing this stuff is
kinda useful!
Tools can help us do it
better, faster, cheaper, etc.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
27
ASSERTION 1: Human–computer interaction predates computers.
TAKEAWAY
Interfaces are evolutions of existing ideas and
practices, not inventions from scratch.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
28

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
28
ASSERTION 2

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
28
ASSERTION 2
Errors in computing are often

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
28
ASSERTION 2
Errors in computing are often
errors in design.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
29
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
29
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
✅
Electron beam
(scanned across field)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
29
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
✅ ✅
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
29
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
✅ ✅ ⚠
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
30
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
30
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Patient needs
electron beam…

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
30
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
30
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
30
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”
{
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…
>~8 seconds

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
30
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”
{
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…
>~8 seconds
~200 rads.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
30
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”
{
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…
>~8 seconds
<~8 seconds
~200 rads.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
30
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”
{
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…
>~8 seconds
<~8 seconds
~200 rads.
~16–20k rads.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
31
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”
{
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…
>~8s
<~8s

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
31
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”
{
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…
>~8s
<~8s MALFUNCTION 54

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
31
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”
{
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…
>~8s
<~8s MALFUNCTION 54
#

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
31
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”
{
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…
>~8s
<~8s MALFUNCTION 54
#
“P”

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
31
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Electron beam
(scanned across field)
X-ray
(tracked at target)
X-ray
(with no target)
Whoops… “E”
{
“X”
Patient needs
electron beam…
>~8s
<~8s MALFUNCTION 54
#
“P”
(Invisible internal machine state)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
32
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
32
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Don Norman’s
7 Fundamental
Design Principles

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
32
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Discoverability
“It is possible to determine what actions are
possible and the current state of the device.”
Feedback
“There is full and continuous information
about the results of actions and the current
state of the product or service. After an
action has been executed, it is easy to
determine the new state.”
Conceptual Model
“The design projects all the information
needed to create a good conceptual model of
the system, leading to an understanding and
feeling of control.”
Mappings
“The relationship between controls and
their actions follows the principles of
good mapping, enhanced as much as
possible through special layout and
temporal contiguity.”
Affordances
“When affordances are taken advantage of,
the user knows what to do just by looking: no
picture, label, or instruction needed.”
Signifiers
“…any mark or sound, any perceivable
indicator that communicates appropriate
behaviour to a person.”
Constraints
“Providing physical, logical, semantic, and
cultural constraints guides actions and eases
interpretation.”
Don Norman’s
7 Fundamental
Design Principles

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
32
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Discoverability
“It is possible to determine what actions are
possible and the current state of the device.”
Feedback
“There is full and continuous information
about the results of actions and the current
state of the product or service. After an
action has been executed, it is easy to
determine the new state.”
Conceptual Model
“The design projects all the information
needed to create a good conceptual model of
the system, leading to an understanding and
feeling of control.”
Mappings
“The relationship between controls and
their actions follows the principles of
good mapping, enhanced as much as
possible through special layout and
temporal contiguity.”
Affordances
“When affordances are taken advantage of,
the user knows what to do just by looking: no
picture, label, or instruction needed.”
Signifiers
“…any mark or sound, any perceivable
indicator that communicates appropriate
behaviour to a person.”
Constraints
“Providing physical, logical, semantic, and
cultural constraints guides actions and eases
interpretation.”
Don Norman’s
7 Fundamental
Design Principles

Which ones were violated?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
33
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
33
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Incident HCI Failure

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
33
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Incident HCI Failure
Three Mile Island (1979) Extreme interface complexity, misleading signals, poor layout/grouping, alarm floods, etc.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
33
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Incident HCI Failure
Three Mile Island (1979) Extreme interface complexity, misleading signals, poor layout/grouping, alarm floods, etc.
Florida Election (2000) "Butterfly ballot" misaligned names and punch holes, causing large-scale misvotes

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
33
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Incident HCI Failure
Three Mile Island (1979) Extreme interface complexity, misleading signals, poor layout/grouping, alarm floods, etc.
Florida Election (2000) "Butterfly ballot" misaligned names and punch holes, causing large-scale misvotes
Northeast Blackout (2003) Flaw in vendor software resulted in loss of an alarm function, affecting operators’ understanding of events

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
33
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Incident HCI Failure
Three Mile Island (1979) Extreme interface complexity, misleading signals, poor layout/grouping, alarm floods, etc.
Florida Election (2000) "Butterfly ballot" misaligned names and punch holes, causing large-scale misvotes
Northeast Blackout (2003) Flaw in vendor software resulted in loss of an alarm function, affecting operators’ understanding of events
Boeing 737 MAX MCAS (2018) MCAS activated without clear alert; pilot response assumptions flawed.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
33
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Incident HCI Failure
Three Mile Island (1979) Extreme interface complexity, misleading signals, poor layout/grouping, alarm floods, etc.
Florida Election (2000) "Butterfly ballot" misaligned names and punch holes, causing large-scale misvotes
Northeast Blackout (2003) Flaw in vendor software resulted in loss of an alarm function, affecting operators’ understanding of events
Boeing 737 MAX MCAS (2018) MCAS activated without clear alert; pilot response assumptions flawed.
Heparin Overdoses (2006) Look-alike packaging and system gaps enabled massive dosing errors.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
33
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Incident HCI Failure
Three Mile Island (1979) Extreme interface complexity, misleading signals, poor layout/grouping, alarm floods, etc.
Florida Election (2000) "Butterfly ballot" misaligned names and punch holes, causing large-scale misvotes
Northeast Blackout (2003) Flaw in vendor software resulted in loss of an alarm function, affecting operators’ understanding of events
Boeing 737 MAX MCAS (2018) MCAS activated without clear alert; pilot response assumptions flawed.
Heparin Overdoses (2006) Look-alike packaging and system gaps enabled massive dosing errors.
London Ambulance CAD (1992) Dispatch interface failed under load; lack of fallback and poor development oversight.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
33
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
Incident HCI Failure
Three Mile Island (1979) Extreme interface complexity, misleading signals, poor layout/grouping, alarm floods, etc.
Florida Election (2000) "Butterfly ballot" misaligned names and punch holes, causing large-scale misvotes
Northeast Blackout (2003) Flaw in vendor software resulted in loss of an alarm function, affecting operators’ understanding of events
Boeing 737 MAX MCAS (2018) MCAS activated without clear alert; pilot response assumptions flawed.
Heparin Overdoses (2006) Look-alike packaging and system gaps enabled massive dosing errors.
London Ambulance CAD (1992) Dispatch interface failed under load; lack of fallback and poor development oversight.
Bhopal Gas Leak (1984) Instrumentation and alarm systems failed; operators lacked reliable system feedback.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
34
ASSERTION 2: Errors in computing are often errors in design.
TAKEAWAY
Good design anticipates likely errors, makes
them harmless.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
35

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
35
ASSERTION 3

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
35
ASSERTION 3
There is no interaction

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
35
ASSERTION 3
There is no interaction
without representation.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
36
ASSERTION 3: There is no interaction without representation.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
36
ASSERTION 3: There is no interaction without representation.
Designer

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
36
ASSERTION 3: There is no interaction without representation.
Designer User

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
36
ASSERTION 3: There is no interaction without representation.
Designer User
Conceptual Model

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
36
ASSERTION 3: There is no interaction without representation.
Designer User
Conceptual Model Mental Model

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
36
ASSERTION 3: There is no interaction without representation.
Designer User
Conceptual Model Mental Model
System Image

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
37
ASSERTION 3: There is no interaction without representation.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
38
ASSERTION 3: There is no interaction without representation.
CAN YOU THINK OF A CASE
WHERE THIS ISN’T TRUE?
(i.e. interaction without representation)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
39
ASSERTION 3: There is no interaction without representation.
TAKEAWAY
Your system image should help user build an
accurate and useful mental model.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
40

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
40
ASSERTION 4

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
40
ASSERTION 4
Every interface is a

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
40
ASSERTION 4
Every interface is a
theory of the user.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
41
ASSERTION 4: Every interface is a theory of the user.
O'Sullivan and Igoe (2004), Physical Computing

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
42
ASSERTION 4: Every interface is a theory of the user.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
43
ASSERTION 4: Every interface is a theory of the user.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
44
ASSERTION 4: Every interface is a theory of the user.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
45
ASSERTION 4: Every interface is a theory of the user.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
46
ASSERTION 4: Every interface is a theory of the user.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
47
ASSERTION 4: Every interface is a theory of the user.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
48
ASSERTION 4: Every interface is a theory of the user.
“Why does an x mean close? Why
is it that a floppy disk sign is
means save?
We cannot assume a technology
legacy for our users because
because they they just kind of
walked into the world of
smartphones.”
— Peter Kariuki, CHI 2023 keynote

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
49
ASSERTION 4: Every interface is a theory of the user.
TAKEAWAY
Make your user theories explicit, grounded,
and accurate.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
50

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
50
ASSERTION 5

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
50
ASSERTION 5
What a system makes easy,

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
50
ASSERTION 5
What a system makes easy,
it makes likely.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
51
ASSERTION 5: What a system makes easy, it makes likely.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
51
ASSERTION 5: What a system makes easy, it makes likely.
Thaler & Sunstein
“Choice Architecture”

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
52
ASSERTION 5: What a system makes easy, it makes likely.
Choice Architecture is
Everywhere

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
53
ASSERTION 5: What a system makes easy, it makes likely.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
54
ASSERTION 5: What a system makes easy, it makes likely.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
55
ASSERTION 5: What a system makes easy, it makes likely.
TAKEAWAY
Consciously architect path of least resistance
to guide users toward beneficial outcomes.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
55
ASSERTION 5: What a system makes easy, it makes likely.
TAKEAWAY
Consciously architect path of least resistance
to guide users toward beneficial outcomes.
Corollary: use friction to protect them from harmful ones.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
56

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
56
ASSERTION 6

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
56
ASSERTION 6
Easy to use does not imply

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
56
ASSERTION 6
Easy to use does not imply
worth using.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
57
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with
great efficiency what should not be done at all.
— Peter Drucker

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
57
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with
great efficiency what should not be done at all.
— Peter Drucker
Usability

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
57
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with
great efficiency what should not be done at all.
— Peter Drucker
Usability Utility

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
58
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with
great efficiency what should not be done at all.
— Peter Drucker
Usability Utility

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
58
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with
great efficiency what should not be done at all.
— Peter Drucker
Usability Utility
Is the way people accomplish tasks
using the system
effective, efficient, and satisfying?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
58
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
There is surely nothing quite so useless as doing with
great efficiency what should not be done at all.
— Peter Drucker
Usability Utility
Is the way people accomplish tasks
using the system
effective, efficient, and satisfying?
Can the system accomplish the user’s
real task?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
59
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
Usability (↑)
Utility
(→)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
59
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
Usability (↑)
Utility
(→)
Ideal
Solves a real problem
and a joy to use

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
59
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
Usability (↑)
Utility
(→)
Ideal
Solves a real problem
and a joy to use
Failure
Useless and difficult to use;
not needed.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
59
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
Usability (↑)
Utility
(→)
Ideal
Solves a real problem
and a joy to use
Failure
Useless and difficult to use;
not needed.
Quadrant A
Quadrant B

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
59
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
Usability (↑)
Utility
(→)
Ideal
Solves a real problem
and a joy to use
Failure
Useless and difficult to use;
not needed.
Quadrant A
Quadrant B
vs.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
60
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
61
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
62
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
63
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
64
ASSERTION 6: Easy to use does not imply worth using.
TAKEAWAY
Ask why before how.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
65

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
65
ASSERTION 7

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
65
ASSERTION 7
HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog
between fields.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
66
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
66
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Three Waves of HCI
(ref. Bannon 1995, Bødker 2006, Harrison et al. 2007)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
66
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
WAVE 1
Human factors,
ergonomics, &
performance
Three Waves of HCI
(ref. Bannon 1995, Bødker 2006, Harrison et al. 2007)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
66
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
WAVE 2
Cognitivism,
social computing,
situated action
WAVE 1
Human factors,
ergonomics, &
performance
Three Waves of HCI
(ref. Bannon 1995, Bødker 2006, Harrison et al. 2007)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
66
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
WAVE 3
Interpretivism,
context, meaning,
and culture
WAVE 2
Cognitivism,
social computing,
situated action
WAVE 1
Human factors,
ergonomics, &
performance
Three Waves of HCI
(ref. Bannon 1995, Bødker 2006, Harrison et al. 2007)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
67
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
67
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Discipline What it traditionally values

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
67
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Discipline What it traditionally values
Computer Science & Engineering
Performance, scalability
Does it work? Is it fast, reliable, and efficient? Can it handle real-
world loads?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
67
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Discipline What it traditionally values
Computer Science & Engineering
Performance, scalability
Does it work? Is it fast, reliable, and efficient? Can it handle real-
world loads?
Social/Behavioral Sciences
Validity/control
Is the finding replicable? Can we isolate variables to establish a
causal claim about human behavior?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
67
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Discipline What it traditionally values
Computer Science & Engineering
Performance, scalability
Does it work? Is it fast, reliable, and efficient? Can it handle real-
world loads?
Social/Behavioral Sciences
Validity/control
Is the finding replicable? Can we isolate variables to establish a
causal claim about human behavior?
Design
Form
Is it elegant? Does it create a compelling and pleasurable
experience? Does it innovate aesthetically?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
67
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Discipline What it traditionally values
Computer Science & Engineering
Performance, scalability
Does it work? Is it fast, reliable, and efficient? Can it handle real-
world loads?
Social/Behavioral Sciences
Validity/control
Is the finding replicable? Can we isolate variables to establish a
causal claim about human behavior?
Design
Form
Is it elegant? Does it create a compelling and pleasurable
experience? Does it innovate aesthetically?
Sociology/Anthropology
Context & "thick description”
Does the account capture the rich, situated reality of lived
experience and culture?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
68
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
A brief introduction to this class
(+ how it differs from others)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
68
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
A brief introduction to this class
(+ how it differs from others)
“We are like the company we keep”
(Proverb)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
69
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
69
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
CS Course
Object of
Study
Source of
Complexity

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
69
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
CS Course
Object of
Study
Source of
Complexity
Systems (Compilers/
OS/Distributed)
Computation as a
process
Emergent complexity
of managing
interacting state and
resources

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
69
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
CS Course
Object of
Study
Source of
Complexity
Systems (Compilers/
OS/Distributed)
Computation as a
process
Emergent complexity
of managing
interacting state and
resources
Algorithms/
Theory
Computation as
formal model
Abstract problem
spaces

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
69
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
CS Course
Object of
Study
Source of
Complexity
Systems (Compilers/
OS/Distributed)
Computation as a
process
Emergent complexity
of managing
interacting state and
resources
Algorithms/
Theory
Computation as
formal model
Abstract problem
spaces
Graphics
Reality (more
accurately, our
visual perception
of it)
Physics,
psychophysics,
finite
computational
budgets

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
69
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
CS Course
Object of
Study
Source of
Complexity
Systems (Compilers/
OS/Distributed)
Computation as a
process
Emergent complexity
of managing
interacting state and
resources
Algorithms/
Theory
Computation as
formal model
Abstract problem
spaces
Graphics
Reality (more
accurately, our
visual perception
of it)
Physics,
psychophysics,
finite
computational
budgets
HCI
People
Behavior

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
70
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Design Course
Methods
Results

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
70
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Design Course
Methods
Results
UI/UX
Brainstorming, analogy,
scenario-building, heuristics
Innovation in organizations,
industries, & communities;
generating ideas & getting quick
leverage

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
70
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Design Course
Methods
Results
UI/UX
Brainstorming, analogy,
scenario-building, heuristics
Innovation in organizations,
industries, & communities;
generating ideas & getting quick
leverage
Design Thinking
Usability testing,
interviews, rapid
prototyping, analytic
evaluation
Designed artifacts for
people/clients to use

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
70
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Design Course
Methods
Results
UI/UX
Brainstorming, analogy,
scenario-building, heuristics
Innovation in organizations,
industries, & communities;
generating ideas & getting quick
leverage
Design Thinking
Usability testing,
interviews, rapid
prototyping, analytic
evaluation
Designed artifacts for
people/clients to use
HCI
Highly varied
Controlled experiments,
ethnography, some UI/UX
and design thinking
methods, etc.
Generalizable (hopefully)
design knowledge, not the
designs themselves

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
71
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Social/
Behavioral
Science
Course
Goals
Time-Scale
of Impact

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
71
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Social/
Behavioral
Science
Course
Goals
Time-Scale
of Impact
Economics
Build predictive models of
the world (e.g. markets,
incentives, choices) and
discover fundamental
regularities
Policy change (needs
legislation)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
71
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Social/
Behavioral
Science
Course
Goals
Time-Scale
of Impact
Economics
Build predictive models of
the world (e.g. markets,
incentives, choices) and
discover fundamental
regularities
Policy change (needs
legislation)
Psychology &
Cognitive
Science
Uncover how minds
represent, process,
and act on
information
Scientific discovery
(needs theorization
and verification)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
71
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Social/
Behavioral
Science
Course
Goals
Time-Scale
of Impact
Economics
Build predictive models of
the world (e.g. markets,
incentives, choices) and
discover fundamental
regularities
Policy change (needs
legislation)
Psychology &
Cognitive
Science
Uncover how minds
represent, process,
and act on
information
Scientific discovery
(needs theorization
and verification)
Sociology/
Anthropology
Understand societies
and cultures in terms
of institutions,
norms, histories
Curiosity, critique,
sometimes policy
(often limited
immediate demands)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
71
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
Social/
Behavioral
Science
Course
Goals
Time-Scale
of Impact
Economics
Build predictive models of
the world (e.g. markets,
incentives, choices) and
discover fundamental
regularities
Policy change (needs
legislation)
Psychology &
Cognitive
Science
Uncover how minds
represent, process,
and act on
information
Scientific discovery
(needs theorization
and verification)
Sociology/
Anthropology
Understand societies
and cultures in terms
of institutions,
norms, histories
Curiosity, critique,
sometimes policy
(often limited
immediate demands)
HCI
Dual purpose:
Understand the
(designed) world and
act in it
Design cycle (new
stuff every day)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
72
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
TAKEAWAY
It is hard to master all of HCI…

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
72
ASSERTION 7: HCI is not a field, but a point of dialog between fields.
TAKEAWAY
It is hard to master all of HCI…
Our job:
choose the right theories, methods, and standards of
evidence for each question.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
73

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
73
ASSERTION 8

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
73
ASSERTION 8
HCI must not only improve the present,
but also imagine the future.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
74
ASSERTION 8: HCI must not only improve the present, but also imagine the future.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
75
ASSERTION 8: HCI must not only improve the present, but also imagine the future.
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
75
ASSERTION 8: HCI must not only improve the present, but also imagine the future.
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this.
Project 1: The Redesign

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
75
ASSERTION 8: HCI must not only improve the present, but also imagine the future.
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this.
Project 1: The Redesign
Find a real problem and fix it, with
evidence for solution (solo!).

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
75
ASSERTION 8: HCI must not only improve the present, but also imagine the future.
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this.
Project 1: The Redesign
Find a real problem and fix it, with
evidence for solution (solo!).
Designing a “small-f” future.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
75
ASSERTION 8: HCI must not only improve the present, but also imagine the future.
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this.
Project 1: The Redesign
Find a real problem and fix it, with
evidence for solution (solo!).
Designing a “small-f” future.
Project 2: Final Project

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
75
ASSERTION 8: HCI must not only improve the present, but also imagine the future.
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this.
Project 1: The Redesign
Find a real problem and fix it, with
evidence for solution (solo!).
Designing a “small-f” future.
Complete full human-computer
interaction research cycle (in teams).
Project 2: Final Project

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
75
ASSERTION 8: HCI must not only improve the present, but also imagine the future.
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this.
Project 1: The Redesign
Find a real problem and fix it, with
evidence for solution (solo!).
Designing a “small-f” future.
Complete full human-computer
interaction research cycle (in teams).
Designing a “big-F” Future.
Project 2: Final Project

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
75
ASSERTION 8: HCI must not only improve the present, but also imagine the future.
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this.
Project 1: The Redesign Project 2: Final Project

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
76
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this…
and many more beyond this class.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
76
You will have two major opportunities in
this class to do this…
and many more beyond this class.
So, our focus will be on preparing you
as much as possible.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
77
Preview of the term to come…

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
78
Term preview

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
78
Term preview
Session Topics

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
78
Term preview
Session Topics
$
Introduction
Been there done that.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
78
Term preview
Session Topics
$
Introduction
Been there done that.
%
Perception & Motor Control
Why so some interfaces feel effortless?
Why are menus at screen edges (e.g. taskbar)?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
78
Term preview
Session Topics
$
Introduction
Been there done that.
%
Perception & Motor Control
Why so some interfaces feel effortless?
Why are menus at screen edges (e.g. taskbar)?
&
Cognition & Working Memory
Why do users commit systematic errors when
interacting with complex systems?
How should interfaces reduce/minimize cognitive
load?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
78
Term preview
Session Topics
$
Introduction
Been there done that.
%
Perception & Motor Control
Why so some interfaces feel effortless?
Why are menus at screen edges (e.g. taskbar)?
&
Cognition & Working Memory
Why do users commit systematic errors when
interacting with complex systems?
How should interfaces reduce/minimize cognitive
load?
'
Conducting Human Participants Research
How do we study people responsibly?
What makes research findings both credible and
useful?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
79
Term preview
Session Topics

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
79
Term preview
Session Topics
(
HCI Communities
What constitutes a contribution in HCI?
Why do different HCI papers look so different?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
79
Term preview
Session Topics
(
HCI Communities
What constitutes a contribution in HCI?
Why do different HCI papers look so different?
)
HCI Debates
What kinds of trade-offs occur in the study of
human-computer interactions?
Why does HCI have so many conflicting ideas about
how to design?
Note: in-class debate time!

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
79
Term preview
Session Topics
(
HCI Communities
What constitutes a contribution in HCI?
Why do different HCI papers look so different?
)
HCI Debates
What kinds of trade-offs occur in the study of
human-computer interactions?
Why does HCI have so many conflicting ideas about
how to design?
Note: in-class debate time!
*
Understanding People: Quantitative Methods
How do we tell if a design change really worked?
What can't we learn from just observing users, and
how do experiments help us?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
80
Term preview
Session Topics

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
80
Term preview
Session Topics
+
Understanding People: Qualitative Methods
How do we explain why people experience
technology the way they do?
How do we ensure those explanations are
trustworthy?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
80
Term preview
Session Topics
+
Understanding People: Qualitative Methods
How do we explain why people experience
technology the way they do?
How do we ensure those explanations are
trustworthy?
,
Understanding People: Mixed & Computational
Methods
How do we get the best of both methods worlds?
How should we scale our methods to modern user
data?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
80
Term preview
Session Topics
+
Understanding People: Qualitative Methods
How do we explain why people experience
technology the way they do?
How do we ensure those explanations are
trustworthy?
,
Understanding People: Mixed & Computational
Methods
How do we get the best of both methods worlds?
How should we scale our methods to modern user
data?
➗
HCI Theory
What kinds of principles generalizably explain user
behavior?
How do we move beyond ad-hoc design decisions to
such principled frameworks?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
81
Term preview
Session Topics

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
81
Term preview
Session Topics
♿
Accessibility & Universal Design
How do we design for the full spectrum of human
abilities?
Why does designing for disability often benefit
everyone?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
81
Term preview
Session Topics
♿
Accessibility & Universal Design
How do we design for the full spectrum of human
abilities?
Why does designing for disability often benefit
everyone?
/
Information Visualization
What kinds of visualizations support human
quanitative reasoning?
What principles help us design such useful
visualizations?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
81
Term preview
Session Topics
♿
Accessibility & Universal Design
How do we design for the full spectrum of human
abilities?
Why does designing for disability often benefit
everyone?
/
Information Visualization
What kinds of visualizations support human
quanitative reasoning?
What principles help us design such useful
visualizations?
0
Computational Interaction
How can algorithms help create better user
experiences?
When should interfaces adapt to users vs. users
adapting to interfaces?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
82
Term preview
Session Topics

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
82
Term preview
Session Topics
1
Human-AI Interaction
What is fundamentally different about AI?
What is the role of design/HCI?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
82
Term preview
Session Topics
1
Human-AI Interaction
What is fundamentally different about AI?
What is the role of design/HCI?
2
Collaboration & Social Computing
What changes when we add more people?
What strengths and failure modes occur uniquely in
groups?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
82
Term preview
Session Topics
1
Human-AI Interaction
What is fundamentally different about AI?
What is the role of design/HCI?
2
Collaboration & Social Computing
What changes when we add more people?
What strengths and failure modes occur uniquely in
groups?
3
Analytical Evaluation Methods
How to evaluate designs without users?
How to evaluate designs without designs?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
82
Term preview
Session Topics
1
Human-AI Interaction
What is fundamentally different about AI?
What is the role of design/HCI?
2
Collaboration & Social Computing
What changes when we add more people?
What strengths and failure modes occur uniquely in
groups?
3
Analytical Evaluation Methods
How to evaluate designs without users?
How to evaluate designs without designs?
4
Experimental Evaluation & Field Studies
How do we balance experimental control with real-
world validity?
When should we study users in labs vs. in their
natural environments?

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
82
Term preview
Session Topics
1
Human-AI Interaction
What is fundamentally different about AI?
What is the role of design/HCI?
2
Collaboration & Social Computing
What changes when we add more people?
What strengths and failure modes occur uniquely in
groups?
3
Analytical Evaluation Methods
How to evaluate designs without users?
How to evaluate designs without designs?
4
Experimental Evaluation & Field Studies
How do we balance experimental control with real-
world validity?
When should we study users in labs vs. in their
natural environments?
⏭
Future Directions
TBD

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
83
Term preview
2 Textbooks
to help you on this journey…

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
84
Term preview
Textbooks

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
84
Term preview
Textbooks
Introduction to Human-
Computer Interaction
Hornbæk, Kristensson, &
Oulasvirta (henceforth, HKO)

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
84
Term preview
Textbooks
Introduction to Human-
Computer Interaction
Hornbæk, Kristensson, &
Oulasvirta (henceforth, HKO)
OPEN ACCESS @
introductiontohci.org

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
85
Term preview
HKO
Experimentology
Also OPEN ACCESS @
experimentology.io
OPEN ACCESS @
introductiontohci.org
Textbooks

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
86
Term preview
6 Assignments

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
86
Term preview
6 Assignments
1. Observation

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
86
Term preview
6 Assignments
1. Observation
2. Formalization

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
86
Term preview
6 Assignments
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
86
Term preview
6 Assignments
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
86
Term preview
6 Assignments
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
86
Term preview
6 Assignments
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
87
Term preview
6 Assignments
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
88
Term preview
6 Assignments
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
88
Term preview
6 Assignments
May involve:
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
88
Term preview
6 Assignments
May involve:
•Thinking, reading, and writing
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
88
Term preview
6 Assignments
May involve:
•Thinking, reading, and writing
•Doing a little math
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
88
Term preview
6 Assignments
May involve:
•Thinking, reading, and writing
•Doing a little math
•Writing a little code
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
88
Term preview
6 Assignments
May involve:
•Thinking, reading, and writing
•Doing a little math
•Writing a little code
•Searching for counterexamples, case studies,
and other evidence
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
88
Term preview
6 Assignments
May involve:
•Thinking, reading, and writing
•Doing a little math
•Writing a little code
•Searching for counterexamples, case studies,
and other evidence
•Running statistical models/tests and
interpreting results
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
88
Term preview
6 Assignments
May involve:
•Thinking, reading, and writing
•Doing a little math
•Writing a little code
•Searching for counterexamples, case studies,
and other evidence
•Running statistical models/tests and
interpreting results
•Going out and talking to people
1. Observation
2. Formalization
3. Measurement
4. Ethics
5. Causality
6. Context

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
89
Term preview
Working assumptions from me

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
89
Term preview
Working assumptions from me
1.You possess engineering maturity and are ready for design.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
89
Term preview
Working assumptions from me
1.You possess engineering maturity and are ready for design.
2.You are comfortable programming.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
89
Term preview
Working assumptions from me
1.You possess engineering maturity and are ready for design.
2.You are comfortable programming.
3.You are comfortable with basic statistical concepts.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
89
Term preview
Working assumptions from me
1.You possess engineering maturity and are ready for design.
2.You are comfortable programming.
3.You are comfortable with basic statistical concepts.
4.You use/reject LLMs responsibly.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
89
Term preview
Working assumptions from me
1.You possess engineering maturity and are ready for design.
2.You are comfortable programming.
3.You are comfortable with basic statistical concepts.
4.You use/reject LLMs responsibly.
5.You are willing to defend your design choices.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
89
Term preview
Working assumptions from me
1.You possess engineering maturity and are ready for design.
2.You are comfortable programming.
3.You are comfortable with basic statistical concepts.
4.You use/reject LLMs responsibly.
5.You are willing to defend your design choices.
6.You are comfortable with rigorous critique.

DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
HCI・F25・Intro
89
Term preview
Working assumptions from me
1.You possess engineering maturity and are ready for design.
2.You are comfortable programming.
3.You are comfortable with basic statistical concepts.
4.You use/reject LLMs responsibly.
5.You are willing to defend your design choices.
6.You are comfortable with rigorous critique.
7.If you don’t yet meet one of these expectations, you’re
willing to learn and figure it out as we go.

HCI・F25・Intro
WELCOME TO
COSC 67/267 • FALL 2025
Human-Computer
Interaction
@ DARTMOUTH COLLEGE
Instr. NIKHIL SINGH

COSC67 Dartmouth 1 - Intro to Human Computer Interaction.pdf

About This Presentation

Slide Content

Tags

Categories

Download

Quick Actions

Statistics

Related Slideshows

COSC67 Dartmouth 1 - Intro to Human Computer Interaction.pdf

About This Presentation

Slide Content

Slide 1

Slide 2

Slide 3

Slide 4

Slide 5

Slide 6

Slide 7

Slide 8

Slide 9

Slide 10

Slide 11

Slide 12

Slide 13

Slide 14

Slide 15

Slide 16

Slide 17

Slide 18

Slide 19

Slide 20

Slide 21

Slide 22

Slide 23

Slide 24

Slide 25

Slide 26

Slide 27

Slide 28

Slide 29

Slide 30

Slide 31

Slide 32

Slide 33

Slide 34

Slide 35

Slide 36

Slide 37

Slide 38

Slide 39

Slide 40

Slide 41

Slide 42

Slide 43

Slide 44

Slide 45

Slide 46

Slide 47

Slide 48

Slide 49

Slide 50

Slide 51

Slide 52

Slide 53

Slide 54

Slide 55

Slide 56

Slide 57

Slide 58

Slide 59

Slide 60

Slide 61

Slide 62

Slide 63

Slide 64

Slide 65

Slide 66

Slide 67

Slide 68

Slide 69

Slide 70

Slide 71

Slide 72

Slide 73

Slide 74

Slide 75

Slide 76

Slide 77