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What is the difference between User Interface (UI) and Human Computer Interface (HCI)?

The definitions I found regarding those two terms were so similar to me that I could not make a quite distinction,the definitions revolve around representing both terms as the intersection of behavioral science and computer science,this made me more confused!

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Question added by Deleted user
Date Posted: 2013/06/11
Alabbas Bin Ali Bin Ali Yahya Hamidaddin
by Alabbas Bin Ali Bin Ali Yahya Hamidaddin , Planner , Pottery Barn - M. H. Alshaya Co

 

what i red and understand from Wikipedia that the UI is the interaction between user and computer let say it’s like how you use the computer and how it response of your usage, but for the HCI it’s like how you designed the computer to react with user its involved in the interaction link between user and computer.

 

To simplify it as what I understand, when you use OS as windows in your computer this process or software called UI but when you writer OS with software language as C++, Java or others you are creating the OS as windows this software called Human computer interaction. Then the interface mostly involved with software so UI is a software or OS but Human Computer Interface is a programing language.      

 

Ali Amine Haitaamar
by Ali Amine Haitaamar , Sales Director , Renault Algeria Spa

Explaining the differences in labels, especially between these two, ismostly about fine distinctions. Wherever you go, you should try tolearn about all of these areas.

HCI was the term used when I was doing academic research into thepsychology of how humans interacted with computers.

Within the HCI community (mostly ACM SigCHI), a "User InterfaceDesigner" was the practitioner who designed the interface ratherthan studied the behavior. "Usability" is the testing andevaluation process to determine if a given design is "usable",which often requires some background in experimental design andanalysis.

As the "user interface" became more graphical, some UI designerswere better at the graphic design and some better at just theinteraction (flow, information presented, controls). In many jobdescriptions now, a "UI Designer" will usually need strong graphicdesign skills, while an "Interaction Designer" needs to focus moreon prototyping, task analysis, etc.

There are other terms you will run into, such as InformationArchitecture, Information Design, etc.

When done well, all of the practitioners should use a "design"process of clearly understanding the user and the need, coming upwith many good solutions, and narrowing to the best.

Hope this helps

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