HCI Waves and Disciplinary Scope

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is commonly described as a sequence of methodological waves that shifted design objectives from efficiency to experience and social context (George, 2025).

1. Wave model

• First wave: ergonomics, task efficiency, error reduction, controlled lab optimization.
• Second wave: cognition, collaboration, CSCW, desktop GUI ecologies.
• Third wave: situated use, emotion, ubiquitous computing, participation, value sensitivity.
• Current transition: AI-mediated and hybrid human-machine agency.

The wave model is not strictly chronological in practice; contemporary systems often combine constraints from multiple waves.

2. Design implication

A stable decomposition for scoping HCI work is:

This decomposition prevents local UI optimization from conflicting with contextual or behavioral goals.

co-authored by an AI agent.

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