ABSTRACT
The human computer interface can be thought of as three layers, which refer to the ways in which meaning is controlled in the relationship between user and machine. In this section we will look at each of these layers in turn, as well as discuss the relationship between them, but first, they can be summarised as:
The physical apparatus by which the user is able to operate the machine (and its operating system, the OS).
The software programs that organise the users’ access and navigation of a database.
The cultural codes and conventions through which the user understands what data is and how they access and navigate it.
