Human-Computer Interaction also known as HCI, is an academic field that focuses on two-way communication between a human and a machine, more specifically, a computer. If you are seeking knowledge about HCI and its subfields, you must be aware of the top books that you can rely upon. Below in this article, you can find a list of some most relevant books for Human-Computer Interaction that will give you an advanced level of understanding of the field.
Best Books for Human Computer Interaction
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Human-Computer Interaction: Basics and Practice
- Designing Interactions
- Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction
- Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Rules
- Issues of Human Computer Interaction
- Human Computer Interaction by Meena K
- Galitz’s Human Machine Interaction
- Human Computer Interaction by Rajendra Kumar
1. Human-Computer Interaction
The book ‘Human-Computer Interaction,’ written by Alan Dix, is a perfect book to understand the fundamentals of human-computer interaction, from basics to advanced level.
It covers all the relevant sub-fields of HCI and provides a very good explanation of topics like interaction design and universal access. Apart from this, one can find thoroughly covered information about the technical aspects of HCI.
So, Whether you are a student or a teacher trying to understand the fundamentals of HCI, this book should be on your bucket list.
Author: Alan Dix
2. Human-Computer Interaction: Basics and Practice
This book provides a comprehensive understanding of HCI. The author has covered the essential architectures, algorithms, and mathematical practices that are crucial for developing robust user interfaces.
In its first sixteen chapters, the book talks about all the essential concepts required for modern user interfaces. It specifically focuses on the Model-View-Controller architecture. In the other half of this book, you can find information about the key research areas in interactive systems.
Author: Serengul Smith-Atakan
3. Designing Interactions
The book ‘Designing Interactions’ by Bill Moggridge was published back in 2007. In this book, you can find short essays on product and interaction design. If you find it boring to read extremely long chapters, you can check out this book as it makes complex information easy to digest for the readers.
It helps you understand the reasoning behind shapes and functionalities of well-known design artifacts, some of which include the Google website, early Mac computers, or the first computer mouse. With the help of these examples, readers can understand the key principles that lead to well-designed products.
Author: Bill Moggridge
4. Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction
The fifth edition of the book ‘Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction’ is highly recommended for students as well as teachers who want to have a thorough understanding of HCI. The author has elaborately covered the practical principles and guidelines that one requires to develop high quality user interface designs.
These principles help you designs that users cannot just understand, but also predict and control. From theoretical concepts to fundamental design processes like usability testing, the book covers every important aspect of user interface designs.
This book focuses on latest HCI topics and addresses the keen changes brought by UGC (user generated content) of text, visuals, and audio.
Author: Shneiderman
5. Designing with the Mind in Mind: Simple Guide to Understanding User Interface Design Rules
This is one of the best books to read for those designing and implementing user interfaces. This book puts emphasis on how you can effectively apply psychological aspects and human factors in designing user interfaces. Along with this, author has covered the good practices that one should follow and bad practices that one should avoid in UI design.
With numerous examples and practical applications, this book gives you insights into how psychology can be applied in design.
Author: Jeff Johnson
6. Issues of Human Computer Interaction
This book gives you a comprehensive overview of issues related to human computer interaction and end user computing. The author has very well explained the latest advancements in the field of HCI and issues related to the same. This book also puts emphasis on issues of the human side of IT, which makes it a worth your read as an HCI student or teacher.
This book also provides the information about the social and organizational aspects of IT. The book highlighting the functions of IT as a catalyst for individual and organizational intelligence, a facilitator of social relationships, and a creator of human conditions.
Author: Anabela Sarmento
7. Human Computer Interaction by Meena K
The book ‘Human Computer Interaction’ by Meena K specifically targets undergraduate and postgraduate students who are enrolled in courses like engineering, computer science, and information technology. It helps students develop a strong foundation of the topic and understand it better to apply in the real world.
The book covers all the important areas of research like cognitive architectures, usability engineering, and spoken dialogue system. Apart from this, the author has elaborately explained topics like design methodologies of spoken dialogue systems and the corresponding mathematical models.
Author: Meena K
8. Galitz’s Human Machine Interaction
The book targets students and HCI enthusiasts who are seeking information on HCI. It covers all the important techniques that are required in user interface design. Also, it provides systematic guidelines that interface designers should follow to come up with the best designs.
The book contains a unique discussion on various interaction design schemes. Also, the book has MCQs and exercises at the end of each chapter, which help readers better analyze their understanding.
Author: Dhananjay R Kalbande and Prashant Kanade
9. Human Computer Interaction by Rajendra Kumar
This book by Rajendra Kumar is another worth-considering option if you are looking for the best books to learn about HCI. The book provides a comprehensive overview of the topic, i.e. HCI and its significance in the current digital landscape.
It covers all the important aspects of human computer interaction, including user interfaces, WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointers) systems, and user interface design. The book focuses on user-centered approaches and interaction devices guidelines to design an attractive user interface.
Author: Rajendra Kumar
Conclusion
Based on the best reviews and recommendations, some top HCI books have been listed above. You can choose one or multiple books to learn about HCI. If you want to learn the topic from scratch, you can start with the basic books and eventually upgrade to the advanced ones that cover more complicated topics. You can find most of these books online in the PDF format and if you want hard copies, these books are easily available on Amazon. You can choose your book and start your journey to learning HCI.