History & Paradigms

1. History & Paradigms Where have we come from? Where are we going?

2. Why study HCI’s history? • Understanding where you’ve come - repeat positive lessons • “Those who don’t know history are doomed to repeat it” - avoid negative lessons • Appreciation and knowledge of evolution of interaction

3. Howard Rheingold – Tools for Thought • History of interactive breakthroughs • On-line at http://www.rheingold.com/texts/tft/ • One of several good sources

4. Paradigms • Predominant theoretical frameworks or scientific world views • e.g., Aristotelian, Newtonian, Einsteinian (relativistic) paradigms in physics • HCI paradigm shifts • Which are true shifts? • What are the future paradigms?

5. The basic timeline… ? WIMP (Windows) User Productivity Command Line Batch ? 1980s - Present 1960s – 1970s 1940s – 1950s Time

6. (Some of the) key technological advances / paradigm shifts • Time-sharing & networks • Video display units • Programming toolkits • Personal computing • Windows • Metaphors • Direct manipulation • Language vs. action (agents) • Hypertext / WWW • Multi-modality • Ubiquitous computing • Sensor-based & context-aware computing

7. (Some of the) key people & events • Events • Founding of Xerox PARC • Lisa / Macintosh • People • Vannevar Bush • Douglas Engelbart • Ivan Sutherland • J.C.R. Licklider • Alan Kay • Ted Nelson • Mark Weiser

8. In the Beginning –Computing in 1945 • Harvard Mark I • Picture from http://piano.dsi.uminho.pt/museuv/indexmark.htm • 55 feet long, 8 feet high, 5 tons Jason Hong / James Landay, UC Berkeley, Picture from http://piano.dsi.uminho.pt/museuv/indexmark.htm

9. Batch processing • Computer had one task, performed sequentially • No “interaction” between operator and computer after starting the run • Punch cards, tapes for input • Serial operations

10. Innovator: J.C.R. Licklider • 1960 - Postulated “man-computer symbiosis” • Couple human brainsand computing machinestightly to revolutionizeinformation handling • 1968 – “The Computer as a Communication Device”

11. Paradigm: Networks & time-sharing (1960’s)  Command line  teletype • increased accessibility • interactive systems, not jobs • text processing, editing • email, shared file system • Need for HCI in the design of programming languages

12. The Ubiquitous Glass Teletype • 24 x 80 characters • Up to 19,200 bps (Wow - was big stuff!) Source:http://www.columbia.edu/acis/history/vt100.html

13. Innovator: Ivan Sutherland • Technological advance: Video display units • Start of Direct Manipulation • SketchPad - 1963 PhD thesis at MIT • Hierarchy - pictures & subpictures • Master picture with instances (i.e., OOP) • Constraints • Icons • Copying • Light pen input device • Recursive operations

14. Innovator: Douglas Englebart • Landmark system/demo: • hierarchical hypertext, multimedia, mouse, high-res display, windows, shared files, electronic messaging,CSCW, teleconferencing, ... • Invented the mouse • All this took place before • Unix and C (1970s) • ARPAnet (1969) & later Internet http://sloan.stanford.edu/MouseSite/1968Demo.html

15. The dawn of the desktop – Xerox PARC • Established 1970 • Bob Taylor heads CSL - Computer Systems Lab • 1971 • Laser printer (Gary Starkweather) • 1973 • Ethernet (Bob Metcalfe) • Alto personal computer (Chuck Thacker)

16. Paradigm: Personal Computer • System is more powerful if it’s easier to use • Small, powerful machine dedicated to individual • Importance of networks and time-sharing • Kay’s Dynabook, IBM PC

17. Personal Computers • 1974 IBM 5100 • 1981 Databaster • 1981 IBM XT/AT • Text and command-based • Sold lots • Performed lots of tasks the general public wanted done • A good basic toolkit • 1978 VisiCalc

18. Paradigm: WIMP / GUI • Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointers • Graphical User Interface • Multitasking – can do several things simultaneously • Has become the familiar GUI interface • Computer as a “dialogue partner” • Xerox Alto, Star; early Apples

19. PCs with GUIs • Xerox PARC - mid 1970’s • Alto • local processor, bitmap display, mouse • Precursor to modern GUI,windows, menus, scrollbars • LAN - Ethernet

20. Xerox Star - 1981 • First commercial PC designed for “business professionals” • desktop metaphor, pointing, WYSIWYG, high degree of consistency and simplicity • First system based on usability engineering • Paper prototyping and analysis • Usability testing and iterative refinement

21. Xerox Star - 1981 • Commercial flop • $15k cost • closed architecture • lacking key functionality(spreadsheet)

22. Apple Lisa - 1982 • Based on ideas of Star • More personal rather than office tool • Still $$$ - $10K to $12K • Failure

23. Apple Macintosh - 1984 “The computer for the rest of us” • Aggressive pricing - $2500 • Not trailblazer, smart copier • Good interface guidelines • 3rd party applications • High quality graphics and laser printer

24. Paradigm: Metaphors • LOGO’s turtle • Office desktop • Mapping new interactions to existing, familiar concepts • Others?

25. Paradigm: Direct Manipulation • ‘82 Shneiderman describes appeal of rapidly-developing graphically-based interaction • object visibility • incremental action and rapid feedback • reversibility encourages exploration • replace language with action • syntactic correctness of all actions • WYSIWYG, Apple Mac

26. Paradigm: Hypertext • Think of information not as linear flow but as interconnected nodes • Bush’s MEMEX & Nelson’s hypertext • Non-linear browsingstructure • Hypermedia • WWW in ’93 was thereal launch

27. Paradigm: WWW • Two Key Components • URL • Browser • Tim Brenners-Lee did both1991 first text-based browser • Marc Andreesen created Mosaic (first graphic browser, 1993)

28. Paradigm/Technology – Person-to-Person Communications • Enabled by several technologies • Ethernet and TCP/IP protocol • Personal computer • Telephone network and modems • And by killer-app software • Email, Instant Messaging, Chat, Bulletin Boards • CSCW - conferencing, shared white boards • Not quite yet a killer-app • Micro-sociological phenomenon are central to successes (and failures)

29. The WIMP Plateau ? WIMP (Windows) User Productivity Command Line Batch ? 1980s - Present 1960s – 1970s 1940s – 1950s Time

30. What Next? • What are the next paradigm shifts? • What are the next technical innovations? • Who knows? • Maybe you do

31. Paradigm: Multi-modality • Mode is a human communication channel • Not just the senses • e.g. speech and non-speech audio are two modes • Emphasis on simultaneous use of multiple channels for I/O

32. Paradigm: VR & 3D Interaction • Create immersion by • Realistic appearance, interaction, behavior • Draw on spatial memory, proprioception, kinesthesis, two-handed interaction

33. Innovator: Mark Weiser • Introduced notion of Ubiquitous Computing and Calm Technology • It’s everywhere, but recedes quietly into background • Was CTO of Xerox PARC

34. Paradigm?: Ubiquitous Computing • Person is an occupant of a computationally-rich environment • Computers with ourselves, on our walls, in our appliances, etc. • How to do the “right” thing for the people in the environment? Can no longer neglect macro-social aspects

35. Paradigm?: Mobile Computing • Devices used in a variety of contexts • Laptop, cell phones, PDAs • How do devices communicate? • How to get information to each device when needed? • How to take advantage of context?

36. Paradigm: Mobile Computing • Devices such as PDAs, Cell Phones, GPSs, etc.. • Used in a variety of contexts. • Wireless communication between devices and environment • How to get information to each device when needed? • How to take advantage of context?

37. Paradigm?: Sensor-based and context computing • Commanding a system  implicit interaction • Data used to make inferences about a situation • Controversial & still problematic

38. Innovator: Vannevar Bush • Faculty at MIT • Director of Office of Scientific Research & Development • Coordinate WWII effort with 6,000 scientists • “As We May Think” - 1945 Atlantic Monthly • Postulated Memex device • Stores all records/articles/communications • Items retrieved by indexing, keywords, cross references (now called hyperlinks) • (Envisioned as microfilm, not computer) • http://www.theatlantic.com/unbound/flashbks/computer/bushf.htm

39. Memex Picture from http://www.dynamicdiagrams.com/design/memex/model.htm#download

40. As We May Think • Futuristic inventions / trends • Wearable cameras for photographic records

41. As We May Think • Automatic transcripts of speech

42. As We May Think • Not so much predicting future as "inventing it" by publishing article • hypertext • wearable memory aid • Use technology to augment human intellectual abilities • New kinds of technology lead to new kinds of human/machine & human/human interaction • Be aware that science/engineering can impact society

43. As We May Think • Other visions • Encyclopedia Brittanica for 5 cents • Direct capture of nerve impulses • Some have come true • Increased specialization • Flood of information • Faster / Cheaper / Smaller / More reliable • Some he missed or we are still waiting • Microphotography? • Memex?

44. Fulfilling the vision? ACM Multimedia, 2002

45. Augmenting Human Intellect • So what did we just see? • In terms of devices, interactions, and apps

46. Switching gears… 10 minute break! Use this time to meet each other and start to form groups.

47. Project Structure • Group project – 4 or 5 people • Design and evaluate an interface • 0 - Team formation & topic choice • 1 - Understand the problem • 2 - Design alternatives • 3 - Prototype & evaluation plan • 4 - Evaluation

48. Project topics • Group-oriented picture frame http://hci.sis.uncc.edu:8080/richter/12 • Microsoft Interface Design Imagine Cup http://thespoke.net/ViewContent.aspx?PostID=807760 • Problem of your choice

49. Programming requirements • Leverage team expertise • Full functionality is NOT intention • But good evaluation requires authentic experience

50. Project Details • Part 0 - Topic definition – Due Jan 26 • Identify team & topic, create web notebook • IRB certification • Part 1 - Understanding the problem – Due Feb 16 • Describe tasks, users, environment, social context • Any existing systems in place