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As a project to contribute towards a Masters Degree in Information Technology, I opted to take a look at the software user interfaces that we use everyday. I chose to take an objective view of the interface construction, and how it relates to the user in enabling the task at hand.

The abstract of the dissertation is below. If you wish to obtain a copy of the work in Adobe pdf format, a nominal fee is payable. Please contact me for details.

Abstract

The human computer interface:
Appropriate graphical components for an intuitive and proximal interface
by Adrian Japp

When we speak of the 'Human Computer Interface', we may think of all the constituent parts of the typical system that we are familiar with in today's multimedia equipped world. The monitor, the keyboard, the mouse, the joystick, the microphone, the speaker, the camera, and not least, the software.

The software, which is the subject of this report, provides a layer between the input devices, and the hardware and software applications that we wish to use. In modern terms, we are familiar with 'graphical user interfaces' that have in the last 10 years or so, almost completely replaced the text-based interfaces that the desktop computer started out with.
The promise of these systems gives the user the impression from the marketing of the software, that we would find the interfaces 'easy to use', 'intuitive', and that we might find our experience with the computer systems that we use is 'enhanced', and subsequently that we may become more productive, as the systems aid us in our daily endeavours.
Is this true? Are we really empowered by the interfaces, or do they add another tool that we must become familiar with prior to addressing the job that we wish to do? Are they too simple, or too complex? How can we improve upon them?

The user interface, to be truly effective, must fulfil the needs of the user in such a way as to be an almost invisible portal to the task in hand. The components of these interfaces are inextricably linked; yet carry much weight in their own right. So prolific is the software and graphical user interfaces that we use today, that we accept 'the norm' and rarely question whether the interface is appropriate for it's use or is presented in a contextual fashion. This dissertation attempts to discover the components and the functions that they perform, and present conclusions as to the appropriate use of these components within the confines of our present day, and perhaps our future interfaces.