Human-Machine Interaction Considerations for Interactive Software

This document introduces current concepts and techniques relevant to the design and implementation of user interfaces. A user interface refers to those aspects of a system that the user refers to, perceives, knows and understands. A user interface is implemented by code that mediates between a user and a system. This document covers both aspects. The first chapter is an introduction to the psychology of human-computer interaction. It presents the theoretical models that have had a significant impact on the evolution of the field. These models offer a way to organize the design process and help understand the cognitive process involved in interacting with a computer. The rest of the document is concerned with the software design of user interfaces and shows how the principles established by the cognitive principles can be put into practice. Following a presentation on the abstractions involved in the organization of an interactive system, attention is then directed to the tools for constructing user interfaces windowing systems, tool kits and user interface management systems.