Activating sustainability in the design process

The effectiveness of user experience design is dependent on many factors including complete and accurate contextual information, design approaches, and methods followed. The recent HCI literature clearly shows that there is a growing research interest on integration of User Experience (UX) design and agile software development. A framework based on design thinking is proposed that enhances the current user experience design by integration of three design approaches - design thinking, designing for user experience and agile software development. These three different design approaches of the framework complement each other to benefit effective derivation of contextual requirements that include functionality of the system as well as aspects of total user experience based on the shared understanding gained from stakeholders in the context. Implications of each design approach on stakeholders and the context are discussed in detail to show the significance and value of the proposed framework on the whole design and design process. It is expected that the proposed framework is capable of enhancing the design quality and user experience of products, systems, and services created through agile software development approaches.Keywordsuser experienceagile software developmenthuman-centered designhuman-computer interactiondesign thinking

User experience (UX) is the key to increased productivity by enhancing the usability and interactivity of the product. Machine learning (ML) solutions have raised user and academic awareness of technical innovation. As a result, ML is becoming increasingly popular to improve the quality of UX. Several investigations have highlighted a potential lack of studies on the overall challenges and recommendations for UX using ML. Therefore, more attention should be paid to ML’s existence and potential applications across various applications to get the most out of ML techniques to improve the UX design process. To this objective, a systematic review of the literature was performed as to determine the challenges faced by UX designers when incorporating ML in their design process. Recommendations that help UX designers incorporate ML into UX design will be highlighted. Furthermore, the PRISMA approach is used (a process that has been established in the literature), to restrict the chance of bias at the selection stage. Relevant articles in the following four databases were searched: IEEE Xplore, Scopus, Web of Science, and ACM. The findings revealed that the number of publications on issues linked to UX with ML had advanced exponentially. This review highlights the challenges, recommendations, tools, algorithms, techniques and datasets used in different studies. In addition, suggestions are given for future investigations.

Traditional screen-based interfaces are evolving into a new era due to rapid technological advancements and shifting user needs. At the core of this evolution lies Anderson's 1989 vision of computer technology becoming transparent and invisible to the user. Similarly, in the mid-1990s, Weiser laid the foundation for this transformation by arguing that the fundamentals of human-computer interaction should be reconsidered. He proposed that a “disappearing” or “invisible” form of computing offers a more natural and manageable mode of interaction between humans and machines. In the 2000s, Rosalind W. Picard contributed to this discourse by asserting that, if computers are to engage in natural interactions with humans, they must be equipped with the ability to recognize, understand, and even express emotions. She advocated for computers that not only respond to user commands but also proactively act based on the user’s emotional and physiological states. These perspectives collectively form the foundation of the concept of Screenless Interfaces. With the proliferation of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the advancement of human-machine interaction, user experiences that do not require screens are gaining prominence. Screenless Interfaces engage users through alternative sensory inputs such as voice, touch, motion, and other perceptual modes. These interactions provide users with natural, responsive, and personalized experiences, opening new possibilities in the field of User Experience (UX) Design and fostering direct relationships between users and systems. The aim of this study is to define the concept of Screenless Interfaces, which has become increasingly integrated into contemporary life, and to examine their impact on User Experience Design. To this end, a literature review is conducted to analyze the recent history of Screenless Interfaces and to explore their relationship with UX. Additionally, through the analysis of films and television series, the study discusses the innovative contributions and potential interface designs that Screenless Interfaces may offer to future interaction products. By presenting its findings, the study seeks to shed light on the concept and future of Screenless Interfaces, and to articulate their connection with User Experience Design.

Teaching user experience (UX) design has increasingly become a virtual process. This is particularly true for instructors running online synchronic courses due to the impact of the recent pandemic. A large portion of user research study, which is the backbone of UX design, is now undertaken using non-contact modes and conducted through online tools and methods to facilitate students learning this critical piece of UX design.User research study is essential to UX design. It leads to creativity and inspires design thinking. To fulfil their coursework on user research study, students explored online resources and utilised remote user research tools, such as online card sorting for user-centred information architecture and a web-based eye tracking machine learning tool for information hierarchy.Even though it lacked physical human interaction, using online user research tools in our experience was found to be accessible and effective and produced satisfactory learning results. This paper shares the experience of the online synchronic teaching of a UX design course at a state university and calls for an open discussion for utilising online tools in UX design education, which holds potential for becoming a new normal in academia in the post-pandemic era.KeywordsCovid-19User experience designGraphic designOnline user research toolsDesign pedagogy

The purpose of the research is to substantiate information architecture as a modern professional competence of information and library specialists and to analyse its formation through the prism of synergy between library sciences and UX design. Research methodology. General scientific methods of cognition (analysis, synthesis, comparison) were used for the theoretical justification of the synergy between library sciences and UX design. Content analysis of scientific sources and a descriptive-analytical method were used to generalise the experience of integrating the educational component ‘Information Architecture’ into the educational process. The scientific novelty lies in the theoretical justification of information architecture as a synergistic professional competence that arises at the intersection of library science and UX design. Essential interdisciplinary skills for information and library specialists to create user-friendly digital resources have been identified. For the first time, the integration of the educational component “Information Architecture” into the training program for specialists has been summarised and presented, confirming its practical significance. Conclusions. Information architecture is a vital modern professional skill that connects traditional library science with user experience (UX) design principles. By incorporating information architecture into educational programs, we promote an interdisciplinary approach to specialist training. This integration enables future professionals to create effective and intuitive digital information environments. As a result, it expands their career opportunities and improves their capability to manage complex digital information resources.

Nowadays, user experience (UX) emerges as essential in the design and development of digital products. The use of mobile versus other devices has led to a greater focus on the development of mobile applications focusing on the importance of an effective UX to ensure user satisfaction. This research explores the UX throughout the ideation and development process of mobile prototypes in the university context. This research provides insight into the impact of UX on the creation and ideation of mobile prototypes. Continuous feedback and iteration in the design process are key to fine-tune the interface as much as possible. User-centred methodologies, such as user experience design and user-centred design, offer a unique opportunity to engage students in hands-on projects that reflect real-world challenges. UX principles influence the design of mobile prototypes. The necessity to adopt a user-centred approach and integrate user feedback at all stages of the mobile app design process and development is emphasized to guarantee the creation of successful digital products.

HCI scholarship is increasingly concerned with the ethical impact of socio-technical systems. Current theoretically driven approaches that engage with ethics generally prescribe only abstract approaches by which designers might consider values in the design process. However, there is little guidance on methods that promote value discovery, which might lead to more specific examples of relevant values in specific design contexts. In this paper, we elaborate a method for value discovery, identifying how values impact the designer's decision making. We demonstrate the use of this method, called Ethicography, in describing value discovery and use throughout the design process. We present analysis of design activity by user experience (UX) design students in two lab protocol conditions, describing specific human values that designers considered for each task, and visualizing the interplay of these values. We identify opportunities for further research, using the Ethicograph method to illustrate value discovery and translation into design solutions.

With rapid advancements yet ongoing debate, Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is reshaping the design field. This paper explores how AI impacts various aspects of user experience (UX) design, from creative tasks to research activities. To clarify and analyze these developments, the paper introduces the AI4UX framework, which captures the complex relationship and multiple scenarios between design practitioners and AI. This framework highlights the dual role of GenAI as both a material and a tool, examining its implications in creative design and research contexts. Through the AI4UX lens, we further explore how to view and assess the integration of GenAI into UX design, with both the opportunities and challenges it presents. First, GenAI is explored as a design material, with a focus on end-users’ perceptions of intelligence. Next, we highlight the importance of protecting human creativity when AI is used as a design tool. For researchers, the need for meaningful transparency is emphasized when using AI as a research tool. We also discuss GenAI’s potential as an intelligent evaluation agent in supplementing real users. Following this, we consider the future possibilities of AI-empowered UX research. Lastly, based on the AI4UX framework, we explored the heightened competency requirements for design practitioners in the era of AI, aiming to capture emerging design paradigms. This framework provides a foundation for understanding how the design industry and academia adapt to these transformations. We aim to empower design students and practitioners to better understand how to navigate AI’s evolving role in design, while ensuring the core principle of human-centered design is consistently upheld.

This conceptual research paper aims to explore the integration of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and User Experience (UX) design in the context of website usability. With the increasing importance of websites in attracting and engaging users, understanding the relationship between SEO practices and UX design principles becomes crucial. This paper examines the potential benefits and challenges associated with integrating SEO and UX design, proposing a framework for optimizing website usability while enhancing search engine visibility. The conceptual exploration emphasizes the need to strike a balance between SEO and UX design to create user-centered websites that achieve high rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

This article provides an introduction to the usage of software engineering approaches and tools for the design of user experience (UE). This approach was developed for three main reasons: (a) to provide UE design teams a rigorous, methodical, encompassing method that can be applied throughout the entire product development cycle; (b) to provide designers a way to work with abstract concepts to establish the conceptual design of the system before progressing to the realization of the design to the appropriate platform; and (c) to communicate the intended design to the implementation team in a manner that is concise, complete, and familiar. The approach is the application of Unified Modeling Language concepts to describe users and the UE design rather than the technical architecture. It is believed that designing the UE design separately from the technical architecture will help ensure teams deliver a usable and delightful UE. The methods in this article have been applied to a handful of real-world projects in the last year and a half. Thus far, the application of software engineering approaches and tools have been found to be very powerful aids that have enabled the creation of highly useful Web experiences as well as software applications. Our intent is to address the full gamut of issues involved in creating a total user experience (UE)-from discovery of users needs through high-level and low-level design, ensuring fidelity during development, and deployment, with a full assessment of how well the design meets users' needs. We believe that through a concerted use of such a rigorous approach we can greatly improve not only the UE of products we create, but also the experience of designing and developing them. We are not the only team taking this direction in UE design. It has become clear to many in our field that a more rigorous, thorough, and accurate approach to UE design is not only possible-it is necessary, for many of the same reasons that software engineers long ago embraced such practices. As we are evolving our approaches in other phases, this article focuses on the discovery and design phase activities.

BackgroundAging is associated with various challenges, especially concerning mobility. Transportation planning e-tools are currently available to provide older adults with real-time travel information and help them choose trip options. However, many older adults find them challenging to use, as they are not tailored to their specific needs, such as lack of accessibility to the different means of transportation. It is necessary to identify knowledge gaps about design based on older adults’ experience using transportation planning e-tools.ObjectiveThis study aims to identify knowledge gaps regarding the user experience design and its evaluation for older adults using transportation planning e-tools.MethodsA scoping review of the scientific literature was conducted, based on Arksey and O’Malley’s guidelines. The search covers sources published in English from January 2002 to October 2022 through 7 scientific databases, including MEDLINE, AgeLine, CINAHL, SCOPUS, ProQuest, IEEE Explore, and TRID (Transportation Research International Documentation), and was updated in October 2023. Data selection and extraction were performed by the first author and were co-validated by 2 co-authors. The identified sources were analyzed based on source characteristics (authors, year of publication, title of the article, source of article, country, and context of the studies), the purpose of the studies (objectives and study orientation), and the mapping of the methodology and evaluation of user experience (design approach, setting, type of data collection and analysis, type of usability evaluation, and sample size). Both descriptive-analytical methods and thematic analysis were used to analyze the categorized data.ResultsOverall, 1905 sources were identified through databases, and 40 sources were selected for full-text analysis. Data analysis revealed in recent years that there has been significant growth in e-tools designed for older adults, but only 2 studies were related to the field of transportation. In total, 12 studies aimed to evaluate user experience, and 22 studies focused on a user-centered design approach. Most of these studies (n=31) were carried out in a laboratory setting, using summative usability evaluation (user-based testing). The System Usability Scale (SUS) was the most prevalent tool (15 studies) to measure user efficiency and satisfaction. However, no studies have been found that specifically aim to improve the mobility experience of older adults using an age-friendly transportation planning e-tool in a real-life context.ConclusionsThere is a lack of studies assessing older adults’ experience when using transportation planning e-tools in real-life situations. To bridge this gap, a participatory approach is necessary to better consider the needs of older adults in a real-life context and create age-friendly design guidelines for the development of transportation planning e-tools. This will not only enhance their user experience in trip planning but also promote their social engagement by improving their mobility.

The alignment of User Experience (UX) design and business strategy is now a primary factor in the success of organizations operating in the current, competitive digital environment. Salesforce is a renowned Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system that consistently facilitates the processes of customer engagement, sales, and service. Nonetheless, to get the most out of it, a well-designed UX strategy must be developed to help it keep up with the business-wide goals. This paper gives a systematic process of coming up with and transforming a salesforce UX design strategy such that it fulfils outlined objectives of a particular organization. We discuss the importance of stakeholder analysis, persona creation, UX design principles, agile iteration, and Salesforce Lightning Design System (SLDS) integration. The research design is perceived as a combination of qualitative understandings, case studies, and empirical research, aimed at observing gaps and offering solutions. The presented key issues are user adoption, data visualization and optimization of tasks and cross-functional team cooperation. The proposed strategy illustrates positive differences in customer satisfaction, workflow efficiency, and Return on Investment (ROI) that will be quantifiable due to the consideration of a combination of design thinking, Human-Centered Design (HCD), and business analysis. UX evaluation metrics and KPIs used to determine impact are also analysed. The article serves the field of knowledge by providing practitioners and researchers with a step-by-step method for designing UX in enterprise CRM systems, aligning the needs of users with business performance metrics

We describe two cases of open user experience (UX) design using the Firefox web browser and OpenOffice.org office suite as case studies. We analyze the social complexity of integrating UX practices into the two open source projects using activity awareness, a framework for understanding team performance in collective endeavors of significant scope, duration, and complexity. The facets of activity awareness are common ground, community of practice, social capital, and human development. We found that differences between the communities include different strategies for community building, UX status in the community, type of open UX design, and different ways to share information.KeywordsUser experienceopen UX designFirefoxOpenOffice.orgdesignFLOSSopen sourceactivity awarenesscomplex teamwork

Background Managing advanced heart failure (HF) is particularly challenging in the elderly, with high mortality rates and frequent unplanned hospitalizations in the final months of life. A tailored home care model may improve quality of life and reduce hospital admissions, especially when acute hospital care has limited impact on disease progression. Emerging technologies such as telemedicine, combined with home care for acute illness, are opening new avenues for delivery of care. Purpose To develop a comprehensive model for home-based care in advanced HF using co-creation and user-experience (UX) design, engaging key stakeholders involved in patient-centered care. We hypothesized that telemedicine, home care and availability of advisory clinical support around-the-clock were essential for providing a safe, specialized and supportive care model. Methods In a collaboration between two university hospitals we assembled a team of professional stakeholders closely involved in patient care, conducting four workshops led by a project leader and a UX designer to identify both professional and patient needs for designing a feasible home care model for patients with advanced HF. The stakeholder group comprised 6 specialist nurses (representing cardiology, Hospital@Home, municipal care, primary care, telemedicine) and 6 specialist physicians (representing cardiology, geriatrics, internal medicine, and palliative medicine). Results Patient and caretaker journeys were mapped, and key areas of care examined during the workshops, focusing on patient and caretaker needs (Table). This process resulted in a structured model for home-based care in advanced HF, emphasizing availability of four specific areas for feasibility: Clinical consultant 24/7, structured remote monitoring, planned clinical follow-ups over time, and a well-defined care plan in the medical records (Figure). A patient enrolled in the program could transition between additional care providers as needed, while remaining within the program, as illustrated in the Figure. Conclusion We have developed a home care model for advanced HF through co-creation and UX design, involving professionals closely engaged in patient care. Next steps include interviews with patients and next-of-kin for further refinement, followed by a clinical trial comparing specialized home care with standard care.Areas of care addressed in workshops Model for home care in advanced HF

In recent years, mobile health (mHealth) has gained popularity. Yoga apps help users to exercise at home and improve their health. It is worth discussing how to give yogis a better experience and higher satisfaction to improve their willingness to keep using yoga apps. In this study, the Daily Yoga app was selected as the research object to explore important factors related to its user experience design and user satisfaction. Through a literature review and Delphi method composed of eight experts, this study put forward the important criteria framework of user experience design for the Daily Yoga app and then, used the DEMATEL (Decision Making and Trial Evaluation Laboratory)-based ANP (Analytic Network Process) method to determine the factors’ importance order and the causal relationships among them. Finally, combined with the results of an importance–performance analysis of 16 real users, we discuss the improvement measures. The research results show that the yoga class is the most critical factor in the user experience design of the Daily Yoga app, the target plan is a factor that is in great need of improvement, and having an attractive interface can improve user experience. The evaluation model of the study can act as a reference for improving user experience with the Daily Yoga app, and can also be widely used in the process of user experience design, questionnaire production, and evaluation optimization of mHealth app and related applications.