This topic is based on the article published by Whitworth and Ahmad in Interaction-Design. It covers topics such as Evolution of Computing Systems, Computing Level (in terms of Mechanical, Informational, Psychological, and Socio-Technical Systems), Human Physiological Needs, and Design Level Combination.

1. INTRO TO HCI
(Human-Computer Interaction)
Edneil D. Jocusol, ECT, MTM
Faculty, Dep. of Information Technology
Cavite State University - Gen. Trias
Whitworth, B., & Ahmad, A. (n.d.). The Evolution of Computing. The Interaction Design Foundation.
Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/book/the-social-design-
of-technical-systems-building-technologies-for-communities-2nd-edition/the-evolution-of-computing

2. THE EVOLUTION
OF COMPUTING

4. COMPUTING
LEVELS
The evolution of computing is approached here using
Bertalanffy's general systems theory (Bertalanffy, 1968).
This theory is based on the observation of discipline
isomorphisms, when different specialist fields discover the
same abstract equation or law in different contexts

6. IT = Information Technology
IS = Information Systems
ICT = Information & Comm Tech.
Informatics

8. LEVELS AS WORLD
VIEWS
Essential. To view a world one needs a view perspective.
Empirical. It arises from interaction with the world.
Complete. It consistently describes a whole world.
Subjective. We choose a view perspective, explicitly or not.
Exclusive. You cannot view the world in two different ways at the same
time, as you cannot sit in two places at once.
Emergent. One world view can emerge from another.
A world view is:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

9. Flowers in Bees' Eyes

11. As computing
levels changed,
so did the
business model
You can sell software same as or more than the
hardware.
Google cannot sell information. So it uses advertisements
around its platform to generate income

13. FROM HARDWARE
TO SOFTWARE
Hardware is any physical
computer part, e.g. mouse,
screen or case. It does not
"cause" software, and nor is
software a hardware output, in
the way that physical systems
have physical outputs. We create
software by seeing information
choices in physical events.

14. Chip overheat
Software crash
(Call engineer)
(Call programmer)

15. COMPUTER SCIENCE =
Mathematics + Engineering

16. Adding people to the computing
equation meant that getting the
technology to work was only half
the problem — the other half was
getting people to use it. Web users
who did not like a site just clicked
on, and only web sites that got hits
succeeded. Given equal
functionality, users prefer a more
usable product (Davis, 1989).
FROM SOFTWARE
TO USERS

17. Human Computer
Interaction (HCI) =
IT + Psychology
wheras IT = Hardware + Software

18. FROM USERS TO
COMMUNITIES

19. THE REDUCTIONIST
DREAM
The reductionist dream is based on
logical positivism, the idea that only
the physical exists so all science
must be expressed in physical terms.
Yet when Shannon and Weaver
defined information as a choice
between physical options, the options
were physical but the choosing was
not (Shannon & Weaver, 1949).

20. THE
REQUIREMENTS
HIERARCHY

22. DESIGN LEVEL
COMBINATIONS
Ergonomics designs safe and comfortable machines for people.
Object design applies psychological needs to technology in the
same way (Norman, 1990).
Human computer interaction applies psychological
requirements to screen design.
Fashion is the social requirement to look good applied to
wearable object design.
Socio-technology is information technology meeting social
requirements.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

25. THE FLOWER OF
COMPUTING
The illustration on the next slide shows how computing evolved through
the four stages of hardware, software, people, and community.
At each stage, a new specialty joined computing, but pure engineers still
see only mechanics, pure computer scientists only information, pure
psychologists only human constructs, and pure sociologists only social
structures.
In practice, however, computing is thriving. Every day more people use
computers to do more things in more ways

27. ICT
Information & Communications
Technology
IT
Information Technology
IS
Information Systems
MIS
Management Information Systems
AI
Artificial Intelligence

28. Graded
Recitation

29. Discussion
Question 1
How has computing evolved
since it began? Is it just
faster machines and better
software? What is the role of
hardware companies like
IBM and Intel in modern
computing?

30. Discussion
Question 2
How has the computing
business model changed as
it evolved? Does selling
software make more money
than selling hardware? Can
selling knowledge make
money? What about selling
friendships? Can one sell
communities?

31. Discussion
Question 3
Is a kitchen table a technology? Is a
law a technology? Is an equation a
technology? Is a computer program
a technology? Is an information
technology (IT) system a
technology? Is a person an
information technology? Is an HCI
system (person plus computer) an
information technology? What,
exactly, is not a technology?

32. Discussion
Question 4
Is any set of people a
community? How do people
form a community? Is a
socio-technical system (an
online community) any set of
HCI systems? How do HCI
systems form an online
community?

33. Discussion
Question 5
How does computer science relate
to engineering and mathematics?
What about human computer
interaction (HCI) and engineering,
computer science and psychology?
Or socio-technology and
engineering, computer science,
psychology and the various social
sciences?

34. Discussion
Question 6
In an aircraft, is the pilot a
person, a processor, or a
physical object? Can one
consistently divide the
aircraft system into human,
computer and mechanical
parts? If not, what is the
alternative?

35. Discussion
Question 7
What is the reductionist
dream? How did it work
out in physics? Does it
recognize computer
science? How did it
challenge psychology?
Has it worked out in any
discipline?

36. Discussion
Question 8
How much information does a
physical book, that is fixed in one
way, by definition, have? If we
say a book "contains"
information, what is assumed?
How is a book's information
generated? Can the same
physical book "contain" different
information for different people?
Give an example.

37. Discussion
Question 9
If information is physical, how
can data compression put the
same information in a physically
smaller signal? If information is
not physical, how does data
compression work? Can we
encode more than one semantic
stream into one physical
message? Give an example.

38. Discussion
Question 10
Is a bit a physical "thing"? Can
you see or touch a bit? If a signal
wire sends a physical "on" value,
is that always a bit? If a bit is not
physical, can it exist without
physicality? How can a bit require
physicality but not itself be
physical? What creates
information, if it is not the
mechanical signal?

39. Discussion
Question 11
Is information concrete? If we
cannot see information physically,
is the study of information a
science? Explain. Are cognitions
concrete? If we cannot see
cognitions physically, is the study
of cognitions (psychology) a
science? Explain. What separates
science from imagination if it can
use non-physical constructs in its
theories?

40. Discussion
Question 12
Give three examples of other
animal species who sense the
world differently from us. If we
saw the world as they do, how
would it change what we do?
Explain how seeing a system
differently can change how it
is designed. Give examples
from computing.

41. Discussion
Question 13
If a $1 CD with a $1,000
software application on it is
insured, what do you get if
it is destroyed? Can you
insure something that is
not physical? Give current
examples.

42. Discussion
Question 14
Is a "mouse error" a hardware,
software or HCI problem? Can a
mouse's hardware affect its
software performance? Can it
affect its HCI performance? Can
mouse software affect HCI
performance? Give examples in
each case. If a wireless mouse
costs more and is less reliable,
how is it better?

43. Discussion
Question 15
Give three examples of a
human requirement giving
an IT design heuristic. This
is HCI. Give three examples
of a community
requirement giving an IT
design heuristic. This is
STS.

44. Discussion
Question 16
Explain the difference
between a hardware error,
a software error, a user
error and a community
error, with examples. What
is the common factor here?

45. Discussion
Question 17
What is an application user
sandbox? What human
requirement does it satisfy?
Illustrate with an online
example of a user sandbox.

46. Discussion
Question 18
Distinguish between a personal
requirement and community
requirement in computing.
Relate to how STS and HCI differ
and how socio-technology and
sociology differ. Are sociologists
qualified to design socio-
technical systems? What about
HCI experts?

47. Discussion
Question 19
In general, what do people do
when their needs are not met in a
physical situation? Relate to what
users do if their needs are not met
online. Is there a difference?
Explain. What do citizens of a
physical community do if it does
not meet their needs? What about
an online community? Again, is
there a difference? Give specific
examples to illustrate.

48. Discussion
Question 20
According to Norman, what
is ergonomics? What is the
difference between
ergonomics and HCI? What
is the difference between
HCI and STS?

49. Discussion
Question 21
Why is an IPod so different from
TV or video controls? Which is
better and why? Why has TV
remote design changed so little in
decades? If scheduled television
competes with Internet videos for
the hearts and minds of viewers,
which one will win? Give
advantages and disadvantages of
both sides.

50. Discussion
Question 22
How does an online friend
differ from a physical
friend? Can friendships
transcend physical and
electronic interaction
architectures? Give
examples. How is this
possible?

51. Discussion
Question 23
Why do universities divide
computing research across
many disciplines? What is a
cross-discipline? What
past cross-disciplines
became disciplines. Why is
computing a cross-
discipline?