Computational technologies and ideas are increasingly pervasive in human life. Computers and smartphones have become the primary global communication mediums. Technology has become so popular and advances are made so quickly that many people, especially elderly adults, have given up on using technological devices; navigating a computer for them is akin to a three-year-old child trying to build a 2,000-piece puzzle. Technological advancements are moving so quickly that we do not even possess the time to understand the user before implementation.
Technology keeps evolving, but no one can possibly use it effectively if we cannot improve its design.
The reason why I chose to pursue a master’s degree in HCI is that I realized that there was a huge gap between humans and technology. And I believed that this gap could be reduced through design.
But this was my thought when I was applying for my master’s studies.
Now, after studying HCI for one year, I would say that my statement was wrong. Of course, design plays a big role in the big gap between humans and technology, but the gap will still exist even you have the perfect design.
Then — why?
Why should we study design?
I would say because we want to learn how to communicate.
If an app communicates well with the person using it, then there’s no way to improve the design. If the designer communicates well with the user, then there’s no way that the design will fail. If different teams in a company communicate well, and the company communicates with the users well, then there’s no way that the company will produce badly designed works.
All we are learning in HCI is about COMMUNICATION.
And that’s why in HCI, we have a bunch of group work, we have a bunch of users to interview, and we have a bunch of things to bargain with the professors.
That’s because we are learning how to communicate well.
In the past one and a half years, I didn’t learn how to design any UI at school. There was nothing about design rules or method. All I learned is storytelling, how to build a quick prototype to facilitate your pitch and how to persuade people that your design is the best.
It was frustrating at first because I wanted to learn how to design a good UI and I wanted to know how to build a fluid user flow that makes everyone happy.
But unfortunately, this is not what I got from HCI.
What I got is the way to communicate with people well, a way to listen to people.
I believe this skill forms the basis of being a good designer. All those UI skills and UX skills are important as well, but you don’t learn them at school: you learn them by doing when you have some practical experience with them.
So, who should then study HCI, then?
Well, people who want to learn the real value of design. If you have been designing for a while and feel frustrated, then you come and study HCI, you will realize that there are a lot of things that are more important than the design itself.
Sometimes, in extreme cases, product strategy, marketing strategies and project management are all things you will learn during your studies. And I won’t say I will have a successful career with these subjects, but I do believe that they will equip me with the skills needed to communicate well with more people.
