Member-only story
The Origins of Human Computer Interaction and Its Impact on UX
Pioneers and Breakthroughs That Shaped the Multidisciplinary Field of HCI and Transformed UX Design
HCI emerged as a crucial field in the 1980s, paving the way for modern UX design by focusing on the relationship between humans and computer systems. Born at the intersection of computer science, psychology, and design, HCI sought to make computers more usable, efficient, and enjoyable for humans. This article will discuss the birth of HCI, its key milestones, and the impact of this field on the evolution of UX design.
Evolution of UX
- Pre Digital Era ( Prior to 1980s )
- Birth of HCI ( 1980s )
- Birth of UX ( 1990s )
- Web and Software ( 1990s — 2000s )
- Mobile and Responsive Design ( 2000s — 2010s)
- Voice and AI ( 2010s — 2020s)
The Birth of HCI
The advent of personal computers in the late 1970s and early 1980s created a need for a more human-centered approach to computer system design. As computers became more accessible to the general public, it was crucial to ensure that users could interact with them effectively and efficiently. HCI emerged as a response to this need, focusing on the study of user behavior, the design of user interfaces, and the development of methodologies to improve usability.
Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is not attributed to a single individual as its creator. Instead, HCI emerged as a multidisciplinary field that evolved from the combined efforts of researchers and practitioners in computer science, psychology, design, and other disciplines. The origins of HCI can be traced back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, as personal computers began to gain popularity and the need for more user-friendly interfaces grew.
Several key individuals and institutions contributed to the development of HCI during its early years
Xerox PARC and the Graphical User Interface : The research team at Xerox PARC, led by Alan Kay, developed the first graphical user interface, which allowed users to interact with computers through…
