#10094
Reducing Reliance on Superstition
Probably the most well-known article in the fields of usability, user interface design and user experience is Miller’s 1956 paper entitled 'The magical number seven, plus or minus two.' It is incredible how this article has lasted for over 40 years, and still seems to influence many design decisions. More recent, better research is available, but not being used.
Bailey, Robert. Human Factors International (2000). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Research>Cognitive Psychology
#30447
In the fields of HCI and interaction design the term is however most often used as 'making something material from something abstract.' In other words 'thingifying' something abstract (like an idea, a work practice, a social relationshiop) or at least making a representation of it.
Soegaard, Mads. Interaction-Design.org. Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Interaction Design
#14501
Relieving Computer-Induced Headaches 
A thorough discussion of why some users get headaches when working at the computer.
Ray, Deborah S. TECHWR-L (1999). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Ergonomics
#14502
Repetitive Stress Injury Prevention
I received a lot of email following my post asking about writing-specific ergonomics and wrist-strengthening exercises. A lot of people wanted to know what they can do to avoid several common work-related injuries, including: repetitive strain injuries; carpal tunnel syndrome; sore hands, arms, necks, backs; and mousing strain.
Hart, Rowena. TECHWR-L (1999). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Ergonomics>RSI
#14488
A Scalable Method for Deductive Generalization in the Spreadsheet Paradigm 
In this paper, we present an efficient method for automatically generalizing programs written in spreadsheet languages. The strategy is to do generalization through incremental analysis of logical relationships among concrete program entities from the perspective of a particular computational goal. The method uses deductive dataflow analysis with algebraic back-substitution rather than inference with heuristics, and there is no need for generalization-related dialog with the user. We present the algorithms and their time complexities and show that, because the algorithms perform their analyses incrementally, on only the on-screen program elements rather than on the entire program, the method is scalable. Performance data is presented to help demonstrate the scalability.
Burnett, Margaret, Sherry Yang and Jay Summet. ACM TOCHI (2002). Articles>Human Computer Interaction
#26641
Despite posing well-known risks, websites continue to feature poorly designed scrollbars. Among the ongoing problems that result are frustrated users, accessibility challenges, and missed content.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2005). Articles>Web Design>Human Computer Interaction>Usability
#27377
Whenever I hear someone making a general statement about what older people can or cannot do I think of my father-in-law. He's 80 years old and regularly runs marathons and competes in triathlons. He wins too. So I'm always suspicious about stereotypes involving technology and older users.
Weinschenk, Susan. Human Factors International (2006). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Usability>Elderly
#25742
The SIGCHI International Advisory Task Force
SIGCHI has established an International Advisory Task Force to help address issues of the internationalization of the organization. The task force has 20 members, from Europe, Asia, Latin America and North America.
Boy, Guy and David G. Novick. SIGCHI Bulletin (1997). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>International
#22005
La interfaz entre humanos y computadoras adolece todavía de muchas deficiencias. Los sistemas multimodales, que utilizan elementos multibiométricos, interfaces multimodales y sistemas multisensoriales están empezando a paliar muchas de ellas.
Dursteler, Juan Carlos. InfoVis (2004). (Spanish) Articles>Human Computer Interaction>User Interface
#27531
Smooth or Textured: Does Mouse Pad Surface Impact Performance?
This study examined the effects of mouse pad usage on performance of a target acquisition task. Results indicated no performance difference between three specialized mouse pads, a traditional mouse pad and no mouse pad. In addition, no significant differences were found between each of the mousing surfaces based on kinematic data. The results suggest that manufacturer claims of increased performance cannot be supported by empirical evidence.
Slocum, Jeremy and Shelby Thompson. Usability News (2005). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Usability
#31875
Over the past three decades of computer/human interaction, we’ve seen digital technology evolve from a curiosity to a convenience to an integral part of our everyday lives. For UX professionals, the demand for our skill sets and the opportunities to practice seem only to grow, whether we be designers or developers, usability specialists or information architects, working in fields as diverse as Web, mobile, desktop, and embedded software systems. The UX professions are at a stage that could very well be a tipping point—where the rapid rise of digital devices, services, and connectivity converge to create a massive need for UX professionals. The mobile space alone could generate demand that we can only begin to imagine.
Follett, Jonathan. UXmatters (2008). Articles>User Experience>Human Computer Interaction>Community
#28191
The Synergy between Human Factors and Technical Communication
The human factors specialist and the technical communicator find themselves making similar decisions or weighing similar issues. For example, often it is difficult to decide when to use symbols versus words. Sometimes you cannot shortcut and use pictures because pictures do not convey enough information.
Blackwelder, Meredith. Carolina Communique (2003). Articles>TC>Human Computer Interaction
#21297
Teaching Information Architecture to the Design Student
What the design student needs is a design course that stresses usability, human factors, and clarity, instead of the typical branding and interpretation problems they usually encounter in their other design classes. James Spahr recounts a year of teaching at Pratt Institute that attempts to cross those boundaries.
Spahr, James. Boxes and Arrows (2002). Articles>Education>Human Computer Interaction>Graphic Design
#31916
Top-10 Application-Design Mistakes
Application usability is enhanced when users know how to operate the UI and it guides them through the workflow. Violating common guidelines prevents both.
Nielsen, Jakob. Alertbox (2008). Articles>User Interface>Human Computer Interaction>Usability
#30008
Trust emerges from interaction. If trust in information systems is to be promoted, then attention must be directed, at least in part, to interaction design. This paper explores issues of trust in the interactions between users and systems from the perspective of interaction design. It considers a variety of pragmatic aspects in interaction design that impact user trust, including, predictability, interface stability, user control, and the match between expectations and performance. It critically examines contemporary design practices, such as adaptive interfaces, in terms of their impact on user trust.
Constantine, Larry L. Constantine and Lockwood (2006). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Interaction Design
#26239
UPA Supports Maintaining Human Engineering Standard
Standards give very specific details about all varieties of design and give insight into the best practices of an item or process.
Sachs, Baruch. Usability Professionals Association (2005). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Standards
#27538
Usability Analysis of a Computer-Based Avionics System
This study evaluates the usability of computer-based avionics system using a methodology described by Schvanevelt, Berringer & Leard (2004) which calculates the accessibility of information based upon the priorities users place upon the individual information sources. We discuss some of the unique usability issues facing engineers designing hardware and software for technically-advanced avionics systems.
Hamblin, Christopher J., Shiva Naidu and Cindy Miller. Usability News (2005). Articles>Usability>Human Computer Interaction
#25803
The Usability of Subscribing to Feeds
I have always been bothered by how difficult it is to subscribe to RSS/Atom feeds. Consider the user experience -- Someone sees an orange button with an unfamiliar acronym, they click it, and the browser starts spewing undecipherable code.
Veen, Jeffrey. Veen.com (2005). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Usability>RSS
#25839
While no one would argue that email is useless, continued inefficient management of emails makes email worse than useless—--it makes them dangerous.
Mancini, John. e-Doc (2005). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Information Design>Email
#10283
User Attitudes Toward Corporate Style Guides: A Survey
Little information is known on user attitudes toward corporate style guides (CSGs). A national survey shows that an overwhelming 93% of users and 85% of non-users advocate CSG usage primarily to generate consistency in documents, to save time generating documents, and to create a professional look in documents. As corporations face the future by restructuring, usually by downsizing, and by competing more in a global economy, CSG usage will be more prevalent in corporate America, as the results of this survey indicate that CSGs are an economical quality tool that benefits both the user and the corporation.
Allen, Paul R. Technical Communication Online (1996). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Style Guides
#24521
User Observation Testing is Mandatory
Without user observation testing, the usability of your web site is virtually unknown. Surveys are worth little, since those surveyed tend to tell you what they think you want to hear. Staff opinions are nice, but biased and they are not typical users. Heuristic (general guidelines-based) evaluation is helpful, but remains theoretical until tested on actual, representative users as they attempt to find information or perform tasks at your site.
Streight, Steven. Blogger.com (2004). Articles>Usability>Human Computer Interaction>Testing
#30180
Using HCI Skills to Create Online Message Help 
This panel segment focuses on applying human-computer interaction (HCI) skills to the creation of online message help information for the IBM RSl6000 product. Online message help allows users to easily understand and diagnosis errors that they receive on the job, without them ever having to pick up a message manual. The HCI skills used in creating the online help were learned in the Introduction to HCI Usability class thut Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offered as the first class of four offered in 1996 in their newly created HCI Certificate Program.
STC Proceedings (1997). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Communication>Online
#10292
Visual Perception and Its Impact on Technical Communication
Past studies of visual perception have produced a wide library of information on what forms of information can be most easily absorbed by the user. In this paper, we consolidate the literature to provide guidelines on the most effective steps in text engineering, with applications in both printed documentation and website design.
Kaltenbach, Susan. EServer (2001). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Visual>Cognitive Psychology
#32073
What We Can Learn from Microsoft Mojave
A pretty interface doesn’t make an application or website. Even the early releases of Microsoft Vista looked amazing. The graphics, interface, and 'look' of the system were much more impressive than XP. But looks alone don’t make the package. It lacked in usability, creating error messages and not having a standard navigation schema. Users didn’t know if they were to click a button, an image, or text to complete their task. It is important to create a standardized and intuitive interface, as well as nice looking, so that users can navigate your site or application.
Robbins, Kyle. ReEncoded (2008). Articles>User Interface>Human Computer Interaction>Microsoft Windows
#10487
When A Little Twinge Means Big Problems: Avoiding RSI
Could you be doing irreparable damage to your hands and wrists simply by working at the computer for a few hours every day? It may sound like an exaggeration, but for some people even two hours per day of steady typing can cause serious physical problems. The culprit? Repetitive strain injury (RSI)—a condition that can damage the nerves, tendons, and muscles of the freelancer's most basic tool—the hands. RSI can affect the arms, elbows, shoulders, back, and neck. Recovery can require months of rest and physical therapy; for some people, the damage is severe enough that they may never be able to use a computer again. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 332,000 new RSI cases are diagnosed each year.
Milite, George A. Editorial Freelancers Association (1997). Articles>Human Computer Interaction>Ergonomics>RSI
