Introduction to Volume 15, Issue 2
Our February 2020 issue starts with an essay from Gilbert Cockton, “Usability Diverges Media Converges, Design Remerges.” In the essay, he provides a historical perspective on relationships between UX design and other design traditions and approaches, including design theory, creative design practice, design thinking, agile, and service design. In addition to the essay, this issue […] [Read More]
Invited Essay: Usability Diverges, Media Converges, Design Remerges
I gave my fourth World Usability Day (WUD) talk a few months ago in Estonia (the talk may have been at WUD 2019’s largest event). The WUD 2019 theme was “Design for the Future We Want.” That would have worked well for a design conference, which could also have focused on communicating “the value of […] [Read More]
Image of the Human in Service Design: An Interview-Based Case Study
Abstract The present study focuses on the underlying assumptions guiding the work of service designers. In this study, we analyze how “the image of the human” can affect service designers’ speech, and we discuss the implications that different images of “the human” may have in the design process. More specifically, we ask the following: a) […] [Read More]
Practices and Challenges of Using Think-Aloud Protocols in Industry: An International Survey
Abstract Think-aloud protocols are one of the classic methods often taught in universities for training UX designers and researchers. Although previous research reported how these protocols were used in industry, the findings were typically based on the practices of a small number of professionals in specific geographic regions or on studies conducted years ago. […] [Read More]
Cumulative and Combined: Analyzing Methods Use in a Human-Centered Design Mature Company
Abstract Human-centered design (HCD) has developed an impressive number of methods for gaining a better understanding of the users throughout the design process. The dominant orientation in HCD research has been to develop and validate individual methods. However, there has been growing amount of criticism towards this dominant orientation, as companies and designers seldom design […] [Read More]