Types of Human-Computer Interfaces, their Applications and Importance
Before getting into the types of human-computer interface (HCI), let us look into the basics of the human-computer interface.
What is the human-computer interface (HCI) ?
There are several kinds of research going on, to study and to develop the interaction between humans and machines.
These researches will come under the term of HCI.
It is particularly aimed at making the communication between the computer and human easier.
While many devices in the present world are considered to be compatible with humans, there is still a long way to go in achieving the goals completely.
There is still a huge scope in the human-computer interface (HCI) where the interactions can be made simple and easy without the involvement of complex commands or codes.
Types of Human-Computer Interface (HCI)
There are several principles and guidelines that must be followed in order to make communication between computers and humans possible.
This interface will vary on the type of method used.
There are several methods involved here among which the primary ones will include the following.
The Interface based on System:
One of the methods of human-computer interface is with the help of a system.
This method will include the way the system communicates to the user.
There are several commands and processes which are exchanged between a user and a system.
So, the interaction with the system will be documented here.
Since there are multiple approaches to a program, considering the interface based on a system will help in identifying the various angles of a program.
This will also help in analyzing any issues which might occur in the future.
The Interface based on User:
The main object in the human-computer interface is the human.
It is important to analyze and go by the user interface model as it will help in giving the review on how it works at the user level.
To make a program or application successful, the user side of the application should be of quality design, otherwise the application might not be welcomed as well.
To improve the design or the implementation part, it is ideal to go by the user interface type.
There are several approaches to this particular type of interface.
Ultimately, it all depends on how the program is designed to work in a real life situation and not just on paper.
While there are several approaches here, there is no one specific guideline since there are several users for a particular method, the approach will vary each time.
The Interface based on the Situation:
While the two most important parts of the human-computer interface are the user and the system itself, it does not necessarily stop there.
The situation for which the application is implemented might vary every time.
While the user and the system might remain constant, the environment will differ according to different situations. So the interface will have to be defined accordingly.
In this type of interface, the application will have to adjust according to the given surrounding or situation.
Only then the benefits of the application will be delivered completely.
The Interface based on Audio/Video:
The other important aspects and types of a human-computer interface will be involving the audio and video features.
This will dictate as to how the application will work.
The designing of the application will change to a great extent when the audio and video interaction is involved.
Since most of the applications in the future will have audio and video interface, it will play a major role in the application implementation.
While all these types are involved in human-computer interface, the way each one is involved will be different from one another. In fact, some of these are combined in several stages.
