Reimagining HCI: toward a more human-centered perspective

us to rethink our whole value frame concerning means and ends, and the place of technology within this frame. The ambit of HCI has expanded enormously since the field’s emergence in the early 1980s. Computing has changed significantly; mobile and ubiquitous communication networks span the globe, and technology has been integrated into all aspects of our daily lives. Computing is not simply for calculating, but rather is a medium through which we collaborate and interact with other people. The focus of HCI is not so much on human-computer interaction as it is on human activities mediated by computing [1]. Just as the original meaning of ACM (Association for Computing Machinery) has become dated, perhaps so too has the original meaning of HCI (humancomputer interaction). It is time for us to rethink how we approach issues of people and technology. In this article I explore how we might develop a more humancentered approach to computing. for the 21st century, centered on the exploration of new forms of living with and through technologies that give primacy to human actors, their values, and their activities. The area of concern is much broader than the simple “fit” between people and technology to improve productivity (as in the classic human factors mold); it encompasses a much more challenging territory that includes the goals and activities of people, their values, and the tools and environments that help shape their everyday lives. We have evermore sophisticated and complex technologies available to us in the home, at work, and on the go, yet in many cases, rather than augmenting our choices and capabilities, this plethora of new widgets and systems seems to confuse us—or even worse, disable us. (Surely there is something out of control when a term such as “IT disability” can be taken seriously in national research programs.) Solutions do not reside simply in ergonomic corrections to the interface, but instead require Some years ago, HCI researcher Panu Korhonen of Nokia outlined to me how HCI is changing, as follows: In the early days the Nokia HCI people were told “Please evaluate our user interface, and make it easy to use.” That gave way to “Please help us design this user interface so that it is easy to use.” That, in turn, led to a request: “Please help us find what the users really need so that we know how to design this user interface.” And now, the engineers are pleading with us: “Look at this area of

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