The Cultural Component of HCI

Presented by: Candice LaniusSeptember 5th, 2013

Assignment One: Users as Individuals: Effects of Personality and Culture

• Examine separate individual’s characteristics and consider their cultures in order to discuss how each affects the way that people view, use, and react to a human-computer interface.

• Develop any form for the comparison you want, but select the people and cultures you examine as follows:• 1. You, in your own culture,• 2. Someone from your own culture, but with a different background or working

in a different context than yours, and• 3. Someone from a different cultural background (national, ethnic,

occupational, etc.)

What is culture?Shared beliefs and

practices It Unifies and Divides Includes the common

features of Identity:Class, Race, Ethnicity, Gender, Age, Occupation, Education, Tastes, Hobbies, Etc.

An IRL Macro Example

African Diaspora Communities in Europe Seeking economic opportunity, and/or Asylum from domestic turmoil. Desire to remain in contact with their

communities of origin:- Communication- Money exchange

Remittance FlowsCreate a program or application which allows European immigrants to securely,

cheaply, and conveniently

send money back to their relatives.

The

Problem

Huge Industry:514 Billion US Dollars Sent

AnnuallyCost to send 200 USD, 8 - 12%

Where do designers traditionally start?

Technical Capabilities• Question: How often do you use a

web browser?• Response: “Very rarely, we have to

travel to the town center to access internet.”

• Assumption: They lack widespread communication technology- infrastructure.

Cultural Conventions• Question: How many family

members do you have? • Response: “I consider my entire

community to be my family.” • Assumption: Weaker security

standards to allow multiple access points.

Where should we start?

Technical Capabilities• Question: How often do you use

a web browser? Do you stay in touch with family? How?

• Response: “Yes, I talk to them once a week on my cellphone.”

• Inference: Cellphones are convenient and widespread.

Cultural Conventions• Question: How many family

members do you have? What is your home life like?

• Response: “Great! I live with my father, brothers and sisters.”

• Inference: Only need a few security access points for extended families.

Design Solutions with Problems

Online BankingPros: Secure and Moderately PricedCons: Inconvenient

Banks and KiosksPros: SecureCons: Inconvenient and Costly

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdJrP-negEUhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79mI1XGBZHk

Cellular Bank Transfers such as M-PesaPros: Secure [Bank Pins],

Convenient [Phones are widespread/ shared], and

Cost Effective [Quick and cheap].

Cons: NoneWell-Designed Solutions

Summary:Basic Ethnographic Practices

• Start with a familiar topic and build knowledge outwards; be Conversational.

• Do not make assumptions about the group being investigated:

• Ask open-ended and rich questions, not “yes”/ “no” or numerical questions.

• Share the outcomes of your research with your participants for verification and feedback.

• Address the individual’s needs, desires, and expectations