The Cultural Component of HCI

1. The Cultural Component of HCI Presented by: Candice LaniusSeptember 5th, 2013

2. Assignment One: Users as Individuals: Effects of Personality and Culture • Examine separate individual’s characteristics and consider their cultures in order to discuss how each affects the way that people view, use, and react to a human-computer interface. • Develop any form for the comparison you want, but select the people and cultures you examine as follows: • 1. You, in your own culture, • 2. Someone from your own culture, but with a different background or working in a different context than yours, and • 3. Someone from a different cultural background (national, ethnic, occupational, etc.)

3. What is culture? • Shared beliefs and practices • It Unifies and Divides • Includes the common features of Identity: • Class, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Age, Occupation, Education, Tastes, Hobbies, Etc.

4. An IRL Macro Example African Diaspora Communities in Europe Seeking economic opportunity, and/or Asylum from domestic turmoil. Desire to remain in contact with their communities of origin: - Communication - Money exchange

5. The Problem Remittance FlowsCreate a program or application which allows European immigrants to securely, cheaply, and convenientlysend money back to their relatives. Huge Industry: 514 Billion US Dollars Sent Annually Cost to send 200 USD, 8 - 12%

6. Where do designers traditionally start? Technical Capabilities Cultural Conventions Question: How many family members do you have? Response: “I consider my entire community to be my family.” Assumption: Weaker security standards to allow multiple access points. • Question: How often do you use a web browser? • Response: “Very rarely, we have to travel to the town center to access internet.” • Assumption: They lack widespread communication technology- infrastructure.

7. Where should we start? Technical Capabilities Cultural Conventions Question: How many family members do you have? What is your home life like? Response: “Great! I live with my father, brothers and sisters.” Inference: Only need a few security access points for extended families. • Question: How often do you use a web browser? Do you stay in touch with family? How? • Response: “Yes, I talk to them once a week on my cellphone.” • Inference: Cellphones are convenient and widespread.

8. Design Solutions with Problems Banks and Kiosks Pros: Secure Cons: Inconvenient and Costly Online Banking Pros: Secure and Moderately Priced Cons: Inconvenient

9. Cellular Bank Transfers such as M-Pesa Pros: Secure [Bank Pins], Convenient [Phones are widespread/ shared], and Cost Effective [Quick and cheap]. Cons: None Well-Designed Solutions http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdJrP-negEU http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79mI1XGBZHk

10. Summary:Basic Ethnographic Practices • Start with a familiar topic and build knowledge outwards; be Conversational. • Do not make assumptions about the group being investigated: • Ask open-ended and rich questions, not “yes”/ “no” or numerical questions. • Share the outcomesof your research with your participants for verification and feedback. • Address the individual’s needs, desires, and expectations