UX News
A look at what's going on in the field of user experience.
AI wants a communication-first design paradigm
, UX Collective - Medium
Designing interaction for AI: communication vs information“Given a speaker’s need to know whether his message has been received, and if so, whether or not it has been passably understood, and given a recipient’s need to show that he has received the message and correctly — given these very fundamental requirements of talk as a communication system — we have the essential rationale for the very existence of adjacency pairs, that is, for the organization of talk into two-part exchanges. We have an understanding of why any next utterance after a question is examined for how it might be an answer.” — Erving GoffmanThe robot automaton of Metropolis, nearly 100 yrs ago, imperiled workersCommunication as a design paradigm for AIIn my previous post on making AI more interesting to talk to, I suggested that it is a mistake to design AI with the type of solutionist mindset that has long characterized the tech industry. Solutionism views all user needs as problems to be solved—often selling solutions before properly identifying the problem. Behind solutionism is a utilitarianism that defines users in terms of needs, technologies in terms of use cases, and use cases in terms of utility. But where solutionism dives straight into solving problems, AI is a more plastic technology, and deserves a less direct methodology.
As things stand today, the ChatGPT and its kin might seems close cousins of search. As the web sprung from the print world, generative AI appears to have sprung from the search world. We prompt GPT with questions, queries, and requests, in ways similar to how we use search engines. But AI is more than search. It doesn’t so much retrieve information as generate it. And it can do so conversationally, meaning that it can respond to users with clarifying questions. It doesn’t have to return results in one shot.
Nudging as a professional design method
, UX Collective - Medium
Can a designer still make ethical design when using nudging?
How the meaning of colour varies per culture
, UX Collective - Medium
Let’s start with a stigma: Football fans are aggressive. So when Amsterdam built its new stadium, authorities decided to design its seats in rainbow colours. According to psychologists, a colourful environment would reduce hooliganism.
However, this decision caused widespread frustration among fans. The local club, Ajax, wears a red and white jersey.
Friction: The most essential time management process for designers
, UX Collective - Medium
How to carve out time to do deep design work among neverending meetings
The Case of the Missing Me
, UX Planet - Medium
Six months ago, as I explained better in my previous article, I started working as a Web Developer. To keep it short, I’m not a Web Developer. It took me a while, and a decision not made by me, to understand what this role was doing to me. Indeed, I learned a ton of things that are going to make me better at whatever I pursue from now on. I dedicated a lot of hours and space in my mind to make this opportunity work. Spoiler alert: It did not work out.
https://medium.com/media/a6afea3a656777ecb02d552aa4e8a2b0/hrefLuckily for the past few weeks, I’ve been reading The New Happy newsletter daily, and this has definitely helped me open my heart to the ugly truth. This path was not made for me, either by me. I don’t want to live according to someone else’s plan of who I am supposed to be or what I am supposed to learn.
UX Design Challenge: Then and Now
, UX Planet - Medium
Five ways to instantly upgrade your designs
The upgraded designThe original design (Exhibit A)I recently stumbled across my attempt at this UX design challenge I completed nearly three years ago for a job application. The assignment was fairly straightforward: create an admin view to track employee points in a health challenge, with various employee data.
Are you ready for UX in 2024?
, UX Planet - Medium
Debunk some myths floating around and provide a clear picture of what UX design in 2024 is truly about
Gamification in EdTech
, UX Planet - Medium
Case study on 3 EdTech Apps — Duolingo, Drops, EpicIn an era where digital transformation is reshaping every aspect of our lives, the field of education is no exception. As I delve into “Gamification framework” by Yu-Kai Chou, a groundbreaking book that explores the application of game elements in non-game contexts, I’m captivated by its relevance to educational methodologies. Chou’s work, a testament to the innovative integration of game mechanics into learning environments, is a beacon for educators and developers alike. It illuminates the path toward creating engaging, effective, and enjoyable educational experiences. This exploration into gamification in education apps seeks to showcase how these principles can transform the learning journey, making it more interactive, rewarding, and, most importantly, effective. I will introduce three app examples below to elaborate on gamification in education.
1. Duolingo: A Paradigm of Learning Languages Through GamificationDuolingo is a prime example of the successful application of gamification in education. By turning language learning into a series of game-like challenges, Duolingo makes the process enjoyable and significantly enhances retention and motivation. Learners earn points for correct answers, race against the clock, and level up as they master new skills. This competitive edge, inspired by Chou’s game design principles, encourages consistent practice and engagement. The app’s design exemplifies how gamified learning can cater to diverse learning styles, providing immediate feedback and a sense of achievement that traditional educational methods often lack.
UX and NPS Benchmarks of Banking Websites (2024)
, MeasuringU
Online banking is ubiquitous. Banking websites and apps are an integral part of our financial lives.
They are no longer seen as merely nice-to-have features of a banking relationship. Consumers have come to expect the ability to do simple and complex banking transactions from their computers or phones. This digital transformation especially accelerated during the pandemic, when the number of in-person transactions steeply dropped.
An Experiment Comparing 2D and 1D Bar Graphs
, MeasuringU
The time it takes to click on an element on a page is a function of its size (Fitts’ Law).
People can only keep 7 ± 2 items in short-term memory (Miller’s Magic Number).
