James R. (Jim) Lewis, Ph.D, Bill Albert, PhD

Our February 2023 essay is “Gran Got Tech: Inclusivity and Older Adults” by Robert M. Schumacher.  He describes issues that older adults have with using current digital technologies (the digital divide), why user experience researchers and designers should care, and what might be done. In addition to the essay, this issue includes two research papers, […] [Read More]

Robert M. Schumacher, PhD

Introduction Forget the cliché of the grandchild helping grandma use her phone. Grandma cannot use her phone because it was not designed for her. Ubiquitous mass-market tools should not present obvious and avoidable hurdles to everyday users. There are immediate usability problems: impossibly small buttons, unreadable text, new control widgets, hidden features, etc. These are […] [Read More]

Clément Colin, Antoine Martin

Abstract Our technical culture is characterized by the development of increasingly complex artifacts. In this article, we introduce low-techs (sometimes termed “appropriate technologies”), which are alternative technologies designed to use fewer resources, target priority needs, and aim for a positive social and environmental impact. We describe their relevance for user experience researchers and practitioners interested […] [Read More]

Martin Schrepp, Jessica Kollmorgen, Jörg Thomaschewski

Abstract A loyal customer base depends upon a good user experience over the product’s complete lifetime. Successful products are continuously developed over a long period. Their functionality and complexity typically grow over years, so it is important to measure their user experience continuously. A carefully selected, effective questionnaire can collect quantitative results. But with so […] [Read More]