Making sure Siri ages gracefully

Computer scientist Joanna McGrenere—co-founder of HCI@UBC—discusses how human-computer interaction research has evolved as new devices are adopted by a wider-range of users. The challenge: Making sure tech works for everyone.

How has the field of human-computer interaction changed since you began working in it?

In the 1980s, work in human-computer interaction centered on secretaries and office workers. It was a select minority of the population. But now toddlers are using iPads and 95 year-olds are using smartphones. Our definition of who a user is has expanded dramatically.

The technology has expanded its reach too. In the future it will be embedded in most environments. So the need to understand and design effective technology is more important than ever.

How did you become interested in this field?

I wanted to work with people and improve their lives by applying my technical skills. It’s a multidisciplinary field. At HCI@UBC we have researchers from arts, architecture, nursing or business working together. Someone from business might be interested in studying ‘trust’—how do users trust an e-commerce interface?

Some of your work focuses on older adults. Why is that important?

Younger and older people learn how to use mobile technology differently. Younger people prefer exploratory trial-and-error learning. Older people prefer using the device’s instruction manual, despite having difficulties with it. Some people think addressing the needs of older users will not matter in the future, because today’s computer-savvy youth will age and become computer-savvy older adults. But human abilities change, motor ability decreases, as does short-term memory. This affects interactions. One thing we’ve discovered is that a touchscreen device, like an iPad, can mitigate the effects of the reduced dexterity that comes with age that are seen when older adults use a mouse-based computer.

What are some difficulties you face in your research?

It can be hard to find participants for studies because you’re dealing with more specific populations. We did research with people with aphasia, a communications disorder which usually happens after a stroke. The National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke estimates that approximately one million individuals suffer from aphasia in the United States. Since the disorder makes it difficult to communicate, people who suffer from it tend to withdraw from society. Even with the small study we were running it was hard to get the people we needed.