Timeline: History of HCI, UCD and UX

1945

Vannevar Bush envisions the Memex

Vannevar Bush

The article 'As We May Think' proposes a personal device for storing and linking information, anticipating hypertext and associative navigation.

Publication: As We May Think (The Atlantic Monthly)

Precursores

1960

The socio-technical systems concept is born

Fred Emery, Eric Trist

Emery and Trist propose that systems involve complex interaction between people, machines, and work context. All three factors must be considered in design.

Publication: Socio-Technical Systems (en Management Science Models and Techniques)

Sistemas Sociotécnicos

1969

Nickerson: we need people-oriented computers

Raymond S. Nickerson

The foundational phrase: 'the need for the future is not computer-oriented people but people-oriented computers'. Inverts the dominant paradigm.

Publication: Man-Computer Interaction: A Challenge for Human Factors Research

Factores Humanos

1971

Programming as a human activity

Gerald Weinberg

Weinberg publishes a classic that treats programming as a human activity, not a mechanical process. Described as a source of 'continuous inspiration' in the field's literature.

Publication: The Psychology of Computer Programming (Van Nostrand Reinhold)

Precursores

1980

Shneiderman formalizes software psychology

Ben Shneiderman

Promotes the use of scientific research and controlled experimental methods to study interfaces. Bridge between experimental psychology and system design.

Publication: Software Psychology: Human Factors in Computer and Information Systems

Factores Humanos

1982

ACM creates SIGCHI: HCI becomes institutionalized

ACM

The Association for Computing Machinery forms the Special Interest Group on Computer-Human Interaction. HCI moves from academic concern to formal subdiscipline.

HCI

1983

Card, Moran & Newell: the Model Human Processor

Stuart Card, Thomas Moran, Allen Newell

They publish the GOMS framework and Keystroke-Level Model, enabling task time predictions before building the interface. First engineering approach to usability.

Publication: The Psychology of Human-Computer Interaction

HCI

1983

Cognitive Systems Engineering is born

Erik Hollnagel, David D. Woods

Hollnagel and Woods propose studying the human and machine as a joint cognitive system, not as separate components. Focus on complex, dynamic domains.

Publication: Cognitive Systems Engineering: New Wine in New Bottles

Ergonomía Cognitiva

1986

Norman and Draper found User-Centered Design

Donald A. Norman, Stephen W. Draper

The edited volume articulates the paradigm shift: stop centering design on system capability and center it on user needs through an iterative process.

Publication: User Centered System Design: New Perspectives on Human-Computer Interaction

DCU

1988

Norman popularizes UCD: affordances and design errors

Donald A. Norman

Originally 'The Psychology of Everyday Things', introduces the affordance concept and demonstrates that human errors are often design errors. Brings UCD to the general public.

Publication: The Design of Everyday Things

DCU

1993

Nielsen turns usability into a measurable discipline

Jakob Nielsen, Robert L. Mack

Publishes Usability Engineering (Academic Press, 1993) on systematic usability engineering, followed by Usability Inspection Methods (Wiley, 1994, with R.L. Mack) on inspection methods like heuristic evaluation.

Publication: Usability Engineering (Academic Press) / Usability Inspection Methods (Wiley)

Usabilidad

1999

Cooper introduces Personas as a design tool

Alan Cooper

Argues that tech products frustrate users because they are designed by programmers for programmers. Formally introduces user archetypes (Personas) as a solution.

Publication: The Inmates Are Running the Asylum (Sams/Macmillan)

Usabilidad

2000

Krug democratizes web usability

Steve Krug

Succeeds in communicating usability importance to business, marketing, and non-technical professionals. Programmatic title: don't make the user think.

Publication: Don't Make Me Think (New Riders Press)

2002

Garrett structures UX in 5 planes

Jesse James Garrett

Provides a visual model organizing the discipline from abstract strategy to visual interface design. Widely known as 'the 5 planes of UX', though consulted sources do not use that label explicitly.

Publication: The Elements of User Experience (New Riders Press)

2004

Norman: aesthetics change how we think

Donald A. Norman

Discipline turning point: pure usability is not enough. Attractive objects work better because aesthetics and emotions modify the user's cognitive system.

Publication: Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things (Basic Books)

2006

Bødker describes the three waves of HCI

Suzanne Bødker

First wave: cognitive theory and human factors. Second wave: situated action, distributed cognition, participatory design. Third wave: emotional, aesthetic, and everyday non-work use.

Publication: When Second Wave HCI Meets Third Wave Challenges (NordiCHI)

HCI

2010

ISO 9241-210: human-centered design becomes standardized

ISO / IEC

The international standard defines UX as a person's perceptions and responses from the use or anticipated use of a product. Establishes 4 mandatory human-centered design activities.

Publication: ISO 9241-210:2010 (actualizado 2019)

HCD

2016

Debate: User-centered vs. human-centered

Mark Zachry, Jan Spyridakis, Simon Baron-Cohen

Critics argue UCD can dehumanize by reducing people to 'users'. HCD broadens focus to social, ethical, gender, and power dimensions in technology interaction.

Publication: Human-Centered Design and the Field of Technical Communication (JTWC)

HCD

References

Bødker, S. (2006). When second wave HCI meets third wave challenges. Proceedings of NordiCHI '06, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1145/1182475.1182476
Bush, V. (1945). As we may think. The Atlantic Monthly, 176(1), 101–108.
Card, S. K., Moran, T. P., & Newell, A. (1983). The psychology of human-computer interaction. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Cooper, A. (1999). The inmates are running the asylum: Why high-tech products drive us crazy and how to restore the sanity. Sams Publishing.
Emery, F. E., & Trist, E. L. (1960). Socio-technical systems. In C. W. Churchman & M. Verhulst (Eds.), Management science models and techniques (Vol. 2, pp. 83–97). Pergamon.
Garrett, J. J. (2002). The elements of user experience: User-centered design for the web. New Riders Press.
Hollnagel, E., & Woods, D. D. (1983). Cognitive systems engineering: New wine in new bottles. International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 18(6), 583–600.
International Organization for Standardization. (2010). ISO 9241-210:2010. Ergonomics of human-system interaction — Part 210: Human-centred design for interactive systems.
Krug, S. (2000). Don't make me think! A common sense approach to web usability. New Riders Press.
Nickerson, R. S. (1969). Man-computer interaction: A challenge for human factors research. Ergonomics, 12(4), 501–517.
Nielsen, J. (1993). Usability engineering. Academic Press.
Nielsen, J., & Mack, R. L. (Eds.). (1994). Usability inspection methods. John Wiley & Sons.
Norman, D. A. (1988). The psychology of everyday things. Basic Books.
Norman, D. A. (2004). Emotional design: Why we love (or hate) everyday things. Basic Books.
Norman, D. A., & Draper, S. W. (Eds.). (1986). User centered system design: New perspectives on human-computer interaction. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Shneiderman, B. (1980). Software psychology: Human factors in computer and information systems. Winthrop Publishers.
Weinberg, G. M. (1971). The psychology of computer programming. Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Zachry, M., & Spyridakis, J. H. (2016). Human-centered design and the field of technical communication. Journal of Technical Writing and Communication, 46(4), 392–401.