Semiotic engineering was originally proposed as a semiotic approach to designing user interface languages. Over the years, with research done at the Department of Informatics of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, it evolved into a semiotic theory of human-computer interaction (HCI). It views HCI as computer-mediated communication between designers and users at interaction time. The system speaks for its designers in various types of conversations specified at design time. These conversations communicate the designers' understanding of who the users are, what they know the users want or need to do, in which preferred ways, and why. The designers' message to users includes even the interactive language in which users will have to communicate back with the system in order to achieve their specific goals. Hence, the process is, in fact, one of communication about communication, or metacommunication. Semiotic engineering has two methods to evaluate the quality of metacommunication in HCI: the semiotic inspection method (SIM) and the communicability evaluation method (CEM). Up to now, they have been mainly used and discussed in technical contexts, focusing on how to detect problems and how to improve the metacommunication of specific systems. In this book, Clarisse de Souza and Carla Leitão discuss how SIM and CEM, which are both qualitative methods, can also be used in scientific contexts to generate new knowledge about HCI. The discussion goes into deep considerations about scientific methodology, calling the reader's attention to the essence of qualitative methods in research and the kinds of results they can produce. To illustrate their points, the authors present an extensive case study with a free open-source digital audio editor called Audacity. They show how the results obtained with a triangulation of SIM and CEM point at new research avenues not only for semiotic engineering and HCI but also for other areas of computer science such as software engineering and programming. Table of Contents: Introduction / Essence of Semiotic Engineering / Semiotic Engineering Methods / Case Study with Audacity / Lessons Learned with Semiotic Engineering Methods / The Near Future of Semiotic Engineering

Semiotic engineering was originally proposed as a semiotic approach to designing user interface languages. Over the years, with research done at the Department of Informatics of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, it evolved into a semiotic theory of human-computer interaction (HCI). It views HCI as computer-mediated communication between designers and users at interaction time. The system speaks for its designers in various types of conversations specified at design time. These conversations communicate the designers' understanding of who the users are, what they know the users want or need to do, in which preferred ways, and why. The designers' message to users includes even the interactive language in which users will have to communicate back with the system in order to achieve their specific goals. Hence, the process is, in fact, one of communication about communication, or metacommunication. Semiotic engineering has two methods to evaluate the quality of metacommunication in HCI: the semiotic inspection method (SIM) and the communicability evaluation method (CEM). Up to now, they have been mainly used and discussed in technical contexts, focusing on how to detect problems and how to improve the metacommunication of specific systems. In this book, Clarisse de Souza and Carla Leitão discuss how SIM and CEM, which are both qualitative methods, can also be used in scientific contexts to generate new knowledge about HCI. The discussion goes into deep considerations about scientific methodology, calling the reader's attention to the essence of qualitative methods in research and the kinds of results they can produce. To illustrate their points, the authors present an extensive case study with a free open-source digital audio editor called Audacity. They show how the results obtained with a triangulation of SIM and CEM point at new research avenues not only for semiotic engineering and HCI but also for other areas of computer science such as software engineering and programming. Table of Contents: Introduction / Essence of Semiotic Engineering / Semiotic Engineering Methods / Case Study with Audacity / Lessons Learned with Semiotic Engineering Methods / The Near Future of Semiotic Engineering

Demonstrating the influence of Semiotic Engineering in Human-Computer Interaction, this book focuses on the work of one of the pioneers of the field - Clarisse de Souza - and her influence on this broad and wide-ranging area of research. It contains a selection of essays written by those that have worked with her over the years and will encourage readers to extend their reading and research in this area. Clarisse de Souza, widely known as the founder of Semiotic Engineering, will reach her 60th birthday in 2017, and the Semiotic Engineering Research Group that she founded will also celebrate its 20th anniversary. A key figure in HCI, Clarisse argued that human-computer interaction enables computer-mediated communication between the designer and the user at the point of interaction thus enabling and facilitating designers in understanding who their users are, and what their requirements may be. This book brings together prominent researchers who have helped to shape semiotic engineering by their insightful discussions on the theory.

Once, human-computer interaction was limited to a privileged few. Today, our contact with computing technology is pervasive, ubiquitous, and global. Work and study is computer mediated, domestic and commercial systems are computerized, healthcare is being reinvented, navigation is interactive, and entertainment is computer generated. As technology has grown more powerful, so the field of human-computer interaction has responded with more sophisticated theories and methodologies. Bringing these developments together, The Wiley Handbook of Human-Computer Interaction explores the many and diverse aspects of human-computer interaction while maintaining an overall perspective regarding the value of human experience over technology.

The 3-volume set LNCS 8510, 8511 and 8512 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 16th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2014, held in Heraklion, Crete, Greece in June 2014. The total of 1476 papers and 220 posters presented at the HCII 2014 conferences was carefully reviewed and selected from 4766 submissions. These papers address the latest research and development efforts and highlight the human aspects of design and use of computing systems. The papers thoroughly cover the entire field of human-computer interaction, addressing major advances in knowledge and effective use of computers in a variety of application areas.

The five-volume set LNCS 8004--8008 constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 15th International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, HCII 2013, held in Las Vegas, NV, USA in July 2013. The total of 1666 papers and 303 posters presented at the HCII 2013 conferences was carefully reviewed and selected from 5210 submissions. These papers address the latest research and development efforts and highlight the human aspects of design and use of computing systems. The papers accepted for presentation thoroughly cover the entire field of human-computer interaction, addressing major advances in knowledge and effective use of computers in a variety of application areas. This volume contains papers in the thematic area of human-computer interaction, addressing the following major topics: HCI and human centred design; evaluation methods and techniques; user interface design and development methods and environments; aesthetics and kansei in HCI.

This book presents the SigniFYI Suite of conceptual and methodological tools, designed to uncover meanings inscribed in software, their origins, intent and consequences to identify and trace correlating patterns; from software design and development to software use and experience. Based on the study of Semiotic Engineering, the book advances the e study of Human-Centered Computing (HCC), inviting professionals, researchers, teachers and students to reflect upon how subjective and cultural values manifest themselves through software models, programs and user interfaces. The authors weave a mesh of technical, theoretical and philosophical considerations of what it means to build and use software, exploring what we (professionals and non-professionals) mean by the pieces of software we design and develop, as well as what pieces of software mean to end-users and others. Explicitly dedicated to software designers, developers and users, Software Developers as Users is a provocative view of socio-technical communication in the digital age.