Why Computer Science Needs Human Science
For decades, the closest human sciences have come to the world of digital products has been Human Factors Design/Engineering (HFE) and Human Computer Interface (HCI) design. And a juicy squeeze of sour psychology to figure out how dopamine works.
In this article I argue that by bringing more of the human sciences into the technology industry, we will end up breaking less things and making more human-centric things. And being more, well, human. In a brief, summary sort of way.
The field of computer science has grown tremendously. And if it wasn’t for HFE and HCI, many of the lovely software and digital hardware products we use today, wouldn’t exist, or at least not be very nice looking or functional. It is perhaps the starting point for the use-case of why the technology industry needs more human sciences involved.
HFE and HCI helped make some products very useful and functional for humans, such as the brilliant way that smart devices from phones to watches work. They even made tablets embedded in fridge doors work well. It’s just that nobody wants them, at least, not enough of a share of market to justify the continuance of the product.
Then along came the toothbrush with Artificial Intelligence (AI) in it. The product was pulled with quiet abandon a few months later. Or the ovens that have AI in…
