Activity Theory

Activity Theory was launched through the experiments by the Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotski and post-graduates particularly Josef Leontiev and Sergei Rubinstein. Though Activity Theory was originally developed to understand human development and the learning process, it has now permeated different areas including HCI (Human-Centered Computing).

Activities that are at the center of this approach are viewed in the form of the primary units of analysis and thus the interaction among individuals, the surroundings, and the tools are being importantly taken into consideration. It looks at people’s activities as reasonable and interdependent by reminding them of social and cultural factors.

Activity Theory in HCI

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) is a complex discipline that deals with the creation, testing, and implementation of seamless and responsive computing systems for the purpose of human usage. One of the radiant theories, that has gained the immense application of research and design in HCI, is called Activity Theory. Doing Theory gives us a holistic standpoint to see how this human behavior, cognition, and interaction inside the society is in work. We begin exploring Activity Theory and the way it is used in the realm of HCI and interaction designing in this article.

Activity Theory in HCI

Table of Content

  • Activity Theory
  • Basic concepts and principles
  • Activity Theory in HCI and Interaction Design
  • Conclusion

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Activity Theory

Activity Theory was launched through the experiments by the Soviet psychologist Lev Vygotski and post-graduates particularly Josef Leontiev and Sergei Rubinstein. Though Activity Theory was originally developed to understand human development and the learning process, it has now permeated different areas including HCI (Human-Centered Computing)....

Basic concepts and principles

1. Activity:...

Activity Theory in HCI and Interaction Design

In HCI, Activity Theory contributes a comprehensive viewpoint on the users’ behavior and toward advancing design of the interactive media which promotes users’ objectives and activities. With a sense for the relation between the user, technology and the society from a cultural stand point designers become more efficient and effective....

Conclusion

Buildigs on Activity Theory is vital both for analyzing human behavior in HCI domain and for developing interactive systems. The contribution of designers to this specific field is their ability to establish the interconnections between human, tools and socio-cultural habitats, while developing interfaces, that are well-conceived for users’ activities and goals. By acknowledging the concepts of Activity Theory, Human-computer interaction designers can create an apt and user-friendly interface without exhausting a noisy technological ecosphere....