In this article, an overview is presented of the growth of over 40 years comprehensively. Unavoidably much must work in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) over the last be omitted, and every author has his/her orientation; mine 40 years. Inevitably much must be omitted, but the referis of course British and European. But I hope that the enced papers may fill some of the gaps. Various formareferenced papers may fill some of the gaps; moreover, tive influences and contributing disciplines are noted. an excellent recent review, with perhaps a slightly more Aspects of research and human factors knowledge are prominent, but attention is also given to technology, ap-North-American orientation by Baecker, Grudin, Buxplied problems, and design for usability. Finally, after ton, & Greenberg (1995) in their Chapter 1, ''A Historical summarizing the growth in three age-group partitions, and Intellectual Perspective,'' should be read as a parallel some of the major threads of development are noted to this article. Finally, a review of HCI technology has under the heading of continuities from the past and perrecently appeared on the web which will be of interest spectives into the future.
as a complement to this article (Myers, 1996). recorded papers in the literature were published nearly led to greater emphasis not merely on matching men to 40 years ago, including the prospect for ''man-computer machines by selection and training, but also, much more symbiosis'' heralded by Licklider (1960). It is nearly 30 than previously, to the designing of equipment so that its years since the first conference was held and the first operation was within the capacities of most normal peojournal was established in 1969. It is over 15 years since ple. This fitting the job to the man increased considerably five major books were published in the same year, 1980, the collaboration of engineers in certain fields with the and since the microcomputer came into widespread use.
biological scientists. This collaboration, beginning pri-Above all, the growth of research and application, as marily with military problems, continued after the war reflected in numbers of publications, conforms closely to and led to the formation in 1949, in Britain, of the Ergogrowth curves already well-recognized in other sectors of nomics Research Society. science and technology as indicators of maturity.
Similar developments occurred in other countries, No one review can ever cover the growth of a subject leading in the USA to the formation of the Human Factors