n th ndstrl dsgn fld f hmn–cmptr ntrctn, sr ntrfc () s th spc whr ntrctns btwn hmns nd mchns ccr. Th gl f ths ntrctn s t llw ffctv prtn nd cntrl f th mchn frm th hmn nd, whl th mchn smltnsly fds bck nfrmtn tht ds th prtrs' dcsn-mkng prcss. xmpls f ths brd cncpt f sr ntrfcs ncld th ntrctv spcts f cmptr prtng systms, hnd tls, hvy mchnry prtr cntrls nd prcss cntrls. Th dsgn cnsdrtns pplcbl whn crtng sr ntrfcs r rltd t, r nvlv sch dscplns s, rgnmcs nd psychlgy.
Gnrlly, th gl f sr ntrfc dsgn s t prdc sr ntrfc tht mks t sy, ffcnt, nd njybl (sr-frndly) t prt mchn n th wy whch prdcs th dsrd rslt (.. mxmm sblty). Ths gnrlly mns tht th prtr nds t prvd mnml npt t chv th dsrd tpt, nd ls tht th mchn mnmzs ndsrd tpts t th sr.
sr ntrfcs r cmpsd f n r mr lyrs, ncldng hmn–mchn ntrfc (HM) tht typclly ntrfcs mchns wth physcl npt hrdwr (sch s kybrds, mc, r gm pds) nd tpt hrdwr (sch s cmptr mntrs, spkrs, nd prntrs). dvc tht mplmnts n HM s clld hmn ntrfc dvc (HD). sr ntrfcs tht dspns wth th physcl mvmnt f bdy prts s n ntrmdry stp btwn th brn nd th mchn s n npt r tpt dvcs xcpt lctrds ln; thy r clld brn–cmptr ntrfcs (BCs) r brn–mchn ntrfcs (BMs).
thr trms fr hmn–mchn ntrfcs r mn–mchn ntrfc (MM) nd, whn th mchn n qstn s cmptr, hmn–cmptr ntrfc. ddtnl lyrs my ntrct wth n r mr hmn snss, ncldng: tctl (tch), vsl (sght), dtry (snd), lfctry (smll), qlbr (blnc), nd gsttry (tst).
Cmpst sr ntrfcs (Cs) r s tht ntrct wth tw r mr snss. Th mst cmmn C s grphcl sr ntrfc (G), whch s cmpsd f tctl nd vsl cpbl f dsplyng grphcs. Whn snd s ddd t G, t bcms mltmd sr ntrfc (M). Thr r thr brd ctgrs f C: stndrd, vrtl nd gmntd. Stndrd C s stndrd hmn ntrfc dvcs lk kybrds, mc, nd cmptr mntrs. Whn th C blcks t th rl wrld t crt vrtl rlty, th C s vrtl nd ss vrtl rlty ntrfc. Whn th C ds nt blck t th rl wrld nd crts gmntd rlty, th C s gmntd nd ss n gmntd rlty ntrfc. Whn ntrcts wth ll hmn snss, t s clld ql ntrfc, nmd ftr th thry f ql. C my ls b clssfd by hw mny snss thy ntrct wth s thr n X-sns vrtl rlty ntrfc r X-sns gmntd rlty ntrfc, whr X s th nmbr f snss ntrfcd wth. Fr xmpl, Smll--Vsn s 3-sns (3S) Stndrd C wth vsl dsply, snd nd smlls; whn vrtl rlty ntrfcs ntrfc wth smlls nd tch t s sd t b 4-sns (4S) vrtl rlty ntrfc; nd whn gmntd rlty ntrfcs ntrfc wth smlls nd tch t s sd t b 4-sns (4S) gmntd rlty ntrfc.