How to get a job in human-computer interaction (HCI)
Summary
TLDRIn this episode of 'Design Discipline,' Mahmoud Aidan Baitash delves into the world of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), exploring its essence as a scientific field and its manifestation in everyday life. He discusses the challenges of entering the HCI profession and emphasizes the necessity of a strong foundation in computer science, coupled with expertise in social sciences or humanities. Baitash also highlights the interdisciplinary nature of HCI, its evolution through 'waves' of intellectual movements, and the importance of academic research in the field.
Takeaways
- π Saint Thomas Aquinas believed that everything has an essence and existence, with God being the only entity where these are identical.
- π» Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a prevalent phenomenon in modern life, involving any interaction with digital technology, not just traditional computers.
- π HCI as a scientific discipline is distinct from the broader phenomenon of using computers and focuses on analyzing and designing interactions.
- π¨βπ« Mahmoud Aidan Baitash, a scholar of design and technology, emphasizes the importance of HCI in defining modern human life and culture.
- π There is significant interest in HCI as a profession, with many seeking jobs in this field, yet it remains a relatively small and challenging industry to enter.
- π§ A common challenge for those entering HCI is the lack of a clear mental model of the field, which can lead to misunderstandings about its scope and practices.
- π’ The actual profession of HCI is quite niche, primarily existing within academic and scientific research, rather than in business roles.
- π To succeed in HCI, one needs a strong foundation in computer science, as well as competence in social sciences or humanities, including design disciplines.
- π¬ HCI researchers are expected to engage in academic practices such as reading and writing research papers, attending conferences, and potentially teaching.
- π HCI's interdisciplinary nature, combining computer science with social sciences and humanities, allows for a broad and inclusive approach to understanding technology.
- π While HCI has its roots in computer science, it has evolved to include methodologies from various fields, making it a diverse and complex discipline.
Q & A
What is the core argument of Saint Thomas Aquinas regarding essence and existence?
-Saint Thomas Aquinas argues that everything has an essence, which is its ideal at its core, and an existence, which is its manifestation in the real world. According to Aquinas, the only entity in the universe whose essence and existence are identical is God.
What is Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)?
-Human-Computer Interaction, or HCI, refers to the study, planning, and design of the interaction between people and computers. It is both a phenomenon, as we interact with computers in many aspects of our daily lives, and a scientific and professional field where people analyze and design these interactions.
Why is HCI considered a relevant field in today's digital age?
-HCI is relevant because most of our activities today involve interaction with computers and digital devices. It is a defining feature of modern human life and culture, making it essential in the context of design, innovation, and computer science.
What is the difference between HCI as a phenomenon and HCI as a scientific discipline?
-HCI as a phenomenon refers to the everyday interactions people have with computers and digital technology. HCI as a scientific discipline is a professional field where researchers analyze, study, and design these interactions to improve usability, accessibility, and overall user experience.
Why is it challenging for newcomers to understand HCI as a scientific field?
-It is challenging because many people do not have a clear mental model of HCI as a scientific field. They may understand the phenomenon of using computers but do not grasp the boundaries and landscape of HCI in terms of its existential facts and academic rigor.
What are some common misconceptions about the profession of HCI?
-A common misconception is that there are many job positions with 'HCI' in the title in the business world, like 'HCI designer' or 'HCI manager'. In reality, such positions are rare and typically only exist at large tech companies with significant research budgets.
What are the typical responsibilities of a professional HCI researcher?
-A professional HCI researcher is more of an analyst, critic, teacher, philosopher, and sometimes a project manager than a designer or developer. Their job involves reading and writing research papers, engaging with the academic world, and possibly teaching courses, rather than hands-on design or development.
What is the relationship between HCI and computer science?
-HCI is a part of computer science that builds on social sciences and humanities. It is defined by the conferences and journals produced by organizations like ACM and IEEE, which are rooted in computer science and engineering.
What are the three waves of intellectual movements that define the history and evolution of HCI?
-The first wave is the combination of psychology and computer science. The second wave brings in other social sciences with developments in computer technologies and the internet. The third wave involves the integration of humanities, such as literature, philosophy, arts, and design, as technology becomes ingrained in daily life.
Why is it important for someone interested in HCI to have a foundation in both computer science and social sciences or humanities?
-HCI researchers need to understand and apply knowledge from both computer science and social sciences or humanities to effectively study and design human-computer interactions. This interdisciplinary approach allows for a comprehensive understanding of user behavior, technology, and design.
How does the inclusive nature of HCI affect both innovation and the challenges faced by newcomers?
-The inclusive nature of HCI allows for unconventional ideas and fosters innovation. However, it also makes it difficult for outsiders and beginners to understand the field and for the community to establish standards and recognize high-quality work.
Outlines
π» The Essence and Existence of HCI
The paragraph introduces the philosophical concept of essence and existence as proposed by Saint Thomas Aquinas and applies it to the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). It explains that while most things have a discrepancy between their essence (ideal form) and existence (real-world manifestation), God is the only entity where these two are identical. The paragraph then delves into the pervasiveness of HCI in modern life, emphasizing its relevance in design, innovation, and digital products. It highlights the ubiquity of human-computer interactions, from work to leisure to sleep, and positions HCI as both a phenomenon and a scientific discipline. The speaker, Mahmoud Aidan Baitash, a scholar of design and technology, expresses his passion for HCI and its significance in contemporary culture. He also discusses the challenges of entering the HCI profession due to a lack of clear understanding of its boundaries and landscape, sharing his experience of hiring HCI researchers and the rarity of applicants who truly grasp the field.
π The Professional and Academic Aspects of HCI
This paragraph discusses the professional and academic aspects of HCI, emphasizing that while the phenomenon of computers is widespread, the profession of HCI is quite niche and primarily exists within academic research. It points out that there are no common job titles such as 'HCI Designer' or 'HCI Manager' in the business world, unlike other disciplines like programming or graphic design. The only role that explicitly includes 'HCI' in the title is that of an HCI researcher, which is rare and often requires a PhD. The paragraph also clarifies that HCI as a profession is more about research and analysis than hands-on design or development. It suggests that those interested in HCI should be prepared for a career that involves rigorous academic research, reading and writing papers, engaging with the academic community, and possibly teaching, rather than direct product creation.
π The Interdisciplinary Nature of HCI
The paragraph explores the interdisciplinary nature of HCI, situating it as a part of computer science that incorporates knowledge from social sciences and humanities. It explains that HCI researchers are expected to have a strong foundation in computer science, including topics like algorithms, data structures, and software engineering, while also needing a background in fields like psychology, anthropology, or design. The speaker outlines the historical evolution of HCI, describing it as having three 'waves' of intellectual movements: the first wave being the combination of psychology and computer science, the second wave involving other social sciences, and the third wave integrating humanities. This interdisciplinary approach has made HCI a diverse and inclusive field, but it also presents challenges for newcomers in understanding the field's scope and standards.
π Preparing for a Career in HCI
In this final paragraph, the speaker advises on the preparation required for a successful career in HCI. It emphasizes the need for a strong interest in academic research, competence in computer science, and knowledge in a branch of social sciences or humanities, including design. The paragraph acknowledges the extensive work required to cultivate these skills and suggests that most HCI programs are at the graduate level to allow time for this development. It reassures that even if an individual is not excited about all aspects of HCI, they can still find niches within the field that align with their interests. The speaker also hints at future episodes that will further explore HCI and its intersection with design, technology, and philosophy, encouraging the audience to follow the series for more insights.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Essence
π‘Existence
π‘Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
π‘Discrepancies
π‘Design Innovation
π‘Digital Products
π‘Academic Research
π‘Interdisciplinary
π‘Computer Science
π‘Social Sciences
π‘Philosophy
Highlights
St. Thomas Aquinas' philosophical argument that essence and existence are identical in God, but not in other things, provides a foundational concept for understanding the nature of HCI.
HCI is a prevalent phenomenon in modern life, involving interaction with digital components in various devices beyond traditional computers.
HCI as a profession is distinct from the broader phenomenon, focusing on the scientific and professional analysis and design of human-computer interactions.
The speaker, Mahmoud Aidan Baitash, introduces himself as a scholar of design and technology with a focus on HCI research.
HCI researchers are often treated more generously in academic funding compared to other fields, reflecting the high interest and relevance of HCI.
The profession of HCI is challenging to enter due to a lack of a clear mental model for many beginners.
Only a small percentage of applicants truly understand the field of HCI, indicating the need for a deeper understanding of its scientific boundaries and landscape.
HCI as a profession is niche and often requires a Ph.D., with positions focused on research and less on hands-on design or development.
HCI researchers are expected to have a strong foundation in computer science, including knowledge of algorithms, data structures, and other related topics.
A strong foundation in social sciences and humanities is also crucial for HCI researchers, complementing their computer science expertise.
HCI's interdisciplinary nature, combining computer science with social sciences and humanities, makes it a unique and inclusive field.
The evolution of HCI has been marked by three waves: the initial focus on psychology, the inclusion of other social sciences, and the integration of humanities.
HCI researchers are more like analysts, critics, teachers, philosophers, and project managers rather than traditional designers or developers.
The inclusiveness of HCI can be a double-edged sword, fostering innovation but also making it difficult for newcomers to grasp the field's scope.
For those interested in HCI, a combination of academic research interest, computer science skills, and social sciences or humanities knowledge is essential.
The speaker promises further exploration of HCI in future episodes, featuring conversations with professionals in the field.
Transcripts
saint thomas aquinas the philosopher
argues that everything has an
essence an ideal at its core and
an existence an appearance and
manifestation in the real world
the only thing in the universe whose
essence and existence are identical
according to aquinas
is god anything else you me
this microphone and the scientific
discipline of hci
will have discrepancies between what is
essential and what is existential to it
human computer interaction or hci
for short is a phrase that we hear a lot
in the context of design innovation
computer science digital products it is
obviously very relevant to our lives
because
most of what we do today is basically
human computer interaction it's
literally what we do with most of our
waking hours
right now as i record this episode i am
interacting with multiple computers my
camera is actually a computer i'm
looking at my notes on some sort of
computer my phone
also a computer could ring at any time
and as you are
watching or listening to this episode
you are also
performing some kind of human computer
interaction even in our sleep we
interact with computers you know some of
us
measure our sleep with smart watches or
rings and most of us
actually wake up to some kind of digital
alarm clock
this phenomenon of hci the experience of
it is everywhere it is
the defining feature of human life today
this is hci as a phenomenon it's the
fact
that we live with computers and it's not
only these keyboard and mouse and screen
kind of things but
anything that involves digital
components your dishwasher your tv
your car but when you hear people
talking about hci it's probable that
they are not only talking about the
phenomenon of using a computer
but rather they are talking about a
profession or discipline which
deals with this phenomenon so human
computer interaction is the name of what
happens but it is also the name of the
scientific and professional field
where people have the job of analyzing
it and designing it
this the scientific and professional
discipline that is called hci
is what we're going to talk about in
this episode of design discipline
my name is mahmoud aidan baitash i'm a
scholar of design and technology and
research in hci is basically my job i
design and develop hci applications i
write about hci i manage research
projects i
teach hci at the university and i feel
incredibly privileged to be working in
this field because computers and the
ways that we use them
are essential to our lives hci is
basically
the defining feature of human life and
culture today
naturally there's a lot of interest in
hci as a profession
a lot of people are interested in
getting hci related jobs
companies are looking for hundreds of
different kinds of professionals that
have to do with computing and design and
user interfaces in the world of academic
research where getting funding is a
significant challenge for all of us
hci researchers are actually treated a
little more generously compared to our
colleagues in like social sciences or
the arts
however compared to the level of
interest
and the relevance of the phenomenon of
hci
the actual profession of hci is quite
small and it's quite
challenging to get into and the
challenge here is largely because a lot
of people
when they start out don't have a mental
model of hci as a scientific
field which has enough detail and enough
clarity
i'll give you an example around a year
ago i was involved in a university
project and i teamed up with two
professors and we had the job of hiring
two hci researchers we had two positions
for phd researchers and we got
more than 200 applications for these
positions
most of the people who applied were very
smart and very successful some of them
were great engineers
some were designers entrepreneurs and
different kinds of scientists
very smart people very cool skills and
experiences that they brought
but out of 200 people most of whom were
very impressive
there was only like 10 of them who
really understood the field of hci so
they all understood hci as a phenomenon
and most of them understood the
essential ideas the ideals of hci
as a scientific and professional field
but only around five percent of them
actually
understood like the boundaries and the
landscape of hci
in terms of its existential facts and
naturally
those people were the ones that we
interviewed for the jobs
so what i'm going to talk about now is
going to help those of you who are
interested in hci as a profession
especially those of you who are looking
at graduate studies and especially
phd programs in hci and there are two
reasons why we focus on this the first
is that a few days ago i actually posted
on twitter
asking the community for what questions
to cover in in this episode about hci
and one of the most salient requests was
to talk about how to get into hci
phd programs so with a shout out to
faria and others who submitted questions
we're going to talk about some of the
concepts you need for this exact purpose
the second reason why this is especially
relevant to phd studies
is that in fact even though the
phenomena of computers are
everywhere in our lives hci as a
profession
actually refers to a very particular
niche
within academic and scientific research
and this
is my first point there isn't really a
job or position that is called hci
which exists purely in the world of
business at companies
in this way it's different from other
jobs like being a programmer or engineer
or graphic designer or psychologist
because even though many universities
have
these programs where you can study hci
jobs like hci designer or hci
manager things like that don't really
exist
basically the only job where you would
have hci in your actual job title in an
actual company
is the job of a hci researcher and these
jobs are really rare
they basically exist only at these large
tech companies with big budgets for
innovation and research
in fact i went on linkedin to search for
these jobs and found only two of them
among
thousands of jobs on linkedin at
microsoft
and spotify and both of them list as
their requirements that you should have
a phd
and you should have published your
research at particular scientific
conferences and
journals and this is the first thing
that confuses people because the
essence or the ideal of hci is very
broad you know if you go to
any other resource like various books
and lectures and whatnot
usually they will hit you with a very
long and very complicated definition
wikipedia will tell you for example that
hci is a multi-disciplinary field of
study
based on the design and use of computer
technology in particular the interfaces
between computers and users
it's very broad it's very inclusive it's
trying to do
justice to all that hci is and all that
it could be
but the reality the existential fact
is that hci is the name of a very
particular niche
in scientific and academic research so
this is the first thing that you need to
understand if you're looking at hci as a
job it's the fact that
hci is a research discipline and
therefore it is subject to all of the
concerns and constraints that apply to
all kinds of
like scientific and academic research
disciplines
so if you want to become a hci
researcher you kind of have to be
interested in like the rigor and
philosophy of
science and academia you will need to
read thousands of research papers and
write
a lot of your own you need to engage
with the academic world with the
ecosystem
of like universities and academic
careers and
research funding and conferences and
journals you might have to teach courses
and give lectures and all of this is
actually going to take up most of your
time to the extent that you will have
very little time left to
create actual products most professional
hci researchers actually don't design
anything in a hands-on fashion they
don't
develop a lot of software now there are
exceptions to this for example there is
a hci research conference called user
interface software and technology or
uist
where a lot of technical and tactical
work is presented
and there are some design related venues
as well but on the vast majority of
these projects the people who are doing
this
hands-on work are actually graduate
students so it's only at the
earliest stages of this career where you
will actually get to do the hands-on
work
later as a professional hci researcher
you might be on a team where you
collaborate with people who do these
things
but your job will not be to design user
interfaces and to develop
different gadgets in fact your job as a
hci researcher is much closer to being
an analyst a critic
a teacher a philosopher and even a
project manager
much more than it is to being a designer
or developer
this is the first thing that you need to
clear up if you're interested in hci
as a profession a lot of people who
think they are interested in hci
are actually more interested in design
or development which are
different disciplines now these jobs do
have some overlap since they basically
deal with the same subject matter of
like
user interfaces they are definitely
related uh
researchers designers and developers
very often work together in teams
a lot of people switch between these
jobs at various points in their career
and you can definitely get an education
in one of these things and get a job in
the other
in fact if you study hci it will lead
you to a lot of different jobs in
product design or engineering or
marketing
sales user experience research but the
work that you would do
as a professional hci researcher is
different from those and it's very
specific
so what then is the actual work that a
hci researcher does
now the answer to this gets complicated
sometimes because
people in hci actually really love to
like debate
the boundaries and the philosophy of
what we do but after like 10 years of
wading through all of those debates
i believe that i have come to an answer
which is actually quite simple
the answer is that hci is part of
computer science
hci is the part of computer science
which builds on social sciences
and humanities so let's talk about the
two parts of this
first of all the idea that hci is a part
of computer science it's a
subset of computer science has to do
with the fact of
where it exists in practice the absolute
existential core of any scientific
discipline today is publications
any scientific field first of all exists
as a collection of written documents
it's
books or journal articles and conference
papers
and if you look at the conferences and
journals which define hci which are
truly the infrastructure for the
scientific community
these are produced by organizations
which define
themselves in terms of computer science
and engineering the two largest ones are
the acm
or the association for computing
machinery and ieee which is the
institute of electrical and electronics
engineers
now people do argue that hci extends
beyond computer science which it does
but my view is that when it does
it also extends the borders of computer
science it redefines what computer
science is
but all of this philosophy aside what
follows for practical purposes is that
being a hci researcher means that you
are a computer scientist
and if you are a computer scientist then
you will be expected to
command the knowledge and skills that a
competent computer scientist would
possess
even though in hci you might specialize
in methods and philosophies that come
from elsewhere as we will soon discuss
your work is most probably going to
involve computer science topics and you
will have to have the competence to deal
with these
like algorithms and data structures
information theory graphics signal
processing machine learning electronics
software engineering you can't avoid or
outsource
dealing with these topics as a hci
researcher you don't have to be an
expert on all of these but in order to
do your work you need to have a command
of the basics
and furthermore many professors and
other leaders who recruit for hci
related positions are themselves
computer scientists and
engineers so being able to speak the
same language as these people
will carry you forward in the hiring
process so that's my argument that for
a career in hci you really do need a
strong foundation in computer science
but there's one more thing you need
which is again a foundation and ideally
a
specialization in the social sciences
and the humanities
i'm not going to go too deep into the
history of hci which we might do in a
future episode but
very briefly the origin of hci as a
branch of computer science really
materializes in the 80s
there's a book from 1983 which really
stands out it's called the psychology of
human computer interaction
and basically what's happening here is
that the authors of this book are taking
assumptions methods results and
arguments from psychology
and from that they are deriving answers
about how to design computers so
they expand computer science and
psychology towards each other they
kick off this interdisciplinary field
called hci and over the years
what happens is that people start
bringing in other branches of social
sciences
and humanities into hci if you actually
get involved in hci you will see that
people talk about these three
waves or intellectual movements that
define its
its history and evolution psychology and
computer science coming together is the
first wave of hci the second wave
is the rest of the social sciences
coming into it
moving together with developments in
computer technologies and devices and of
course the internet
in order to deal with the new kinds of
like questions and possibilities that
come from this technology
we bring assumptions and methods from
disciplines like anthropology
and sociology and media studies and more
and we're
applying those to the phenomenon of hci
so gradually a lot of new ways of
thinking and doing research become
accepted in hci
the third wave of hci then is the same
thing happening with humanities
as technology and computers become
ingrained in our lives and the
incredible ways that we have today
it actually becomes possible and even
necessary to use
methods and philosophies from like
literature
philosophy critical theory arts and of
course
design in order to make sense of the
place and the possibilities of computers
in our lives having gone through these
movements hci today is a diverse and
inclusive branch of computer science
where we take
knowledge and methods or if you want to
be technical about it we take the
epistemologies and methodologies
from schools of thought which
traditionally have nothing to do with
computer science
and we use them to figure out how to
deal with all of this technology
it's a very fortunate very beautiful
place to be and having learned from this
history
hci today is a very uh tolerant very
inclusive place where ideals that
might not initially make sense to
computer scientists might get accepted
and this brings me to my final point
because this tolerance
and inclusivity is a double-edged sword
on one hand it allows us to consider
unconventional ideas it frees us from
prejudice and it paves
the way to innovation and invention not
to mention that it creates a beautiful
community where
all kinds of individuals are accepted on
the other hand it certainly makes it
difficult for
outsiders and beginners to make sense of
what we're doing
and it makes it difficult for us to have
standards and recognize really
high quality and really meaningful work
so what does this mean for someone who's
interested in joining the world of hci
well it means
that in addition to being a citizen of
the academic world and mastering its
rituals
in addition to being a competent
computer scientist
there is a third area of competence
which you need to command
and this is the social sciences and
humanities
now you don't need to be a master of the
entire landscape here although it
definitely pays off to have like
knowledge of the whole spectrum
but when you come into hci you should
come equipped with let's say
the equivalent of a university degree in
terms of your skill and competence in
one of those fields like psychology or
anthropology or
critical theory or sociology and of
course design
i know that this is a lot of work it
takes many years to cultivate this
competence in computer science as well
as let's say
anthropology and this exactly is the
reason why most hci schools are graduate
level they are masters and phd
programs because this gives you the time
to cultivate these skills and also
familiarize with the rest of the
academic ecosystem in the previous years
of your schooling but going back to the
question of what you will need in hci if
you have this combination of skills
which is first of all an interest in
academic research
and then competence in computer science
and then a branch of social sciences or
humanities including but not limited to
some kind of design discipline
and maybe you can add to that the
specific things that your project or
your team might specialize in
you will be unstoppable you'll have no
problem getting into a hci program
you'll have no problem going through it
and you'll have no problem succeeding in
the rest of your career as a hci
professional
if you've been looking at hci programs
or maybe you're already in a hci school
and you realize that there are parts of
this combination of topics that you're
not really super excited about that's
actually totally fine you can
find projects and team up with people
where you focus on maybe software
development maybe graphic design
maybe ethnographic research whatever you
enjoy simply realizing that hci is the
name of a branch of computer science
research which brings in the social
sciences and humanities
allows you to make sense of things and
make faster
and easier progress in future episodes
of design discipline we're going to
continue to explore the world of hci
we have already had guests like joe
fishkay and eric stoltharmon who have
had
a very successful and very different
careers in this world we are gonna have
many more conversations with people from
the world of hci
and we are going to talk about a lot of
concepts from this world where
design and technology and philosophy all
come together
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