Ada Lovelace was the world’s first computer programmer. In her annotations on an article about the engine, she wrote an algorithm imagining computers could one day have the capability to process both numbers and symbols. She believed they had the potential to do more than just numerical calculations, envisioning that they could also process musical notes, letters, and images. Her work emphasized the potential computers had to go beyond what was possible at the time, highlighting the importance of human needs and capabilities when building systems.
Gilbreth used her work in time-and-motion studies to assess workplace efficiency factors: the number of motions involved in a task and, subsequently, the time required to perform it. Gilbreth’s improved efficiency in home and work environments by focusing on the human factors that shaped the experience in a given environment. Much of the work focused on ergonomics, emphasizing the importance of designing products and environments to accommodate human capabilities and limitations.
Their work demonstrates how the knowledge from engineering, psychology, and mathematics fields can be applied to designing interactive systems that account for various human factors. They were the early pioneers of computing and human-centered thinking.