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Design Theory

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Designers And Developers Pay More Attention To Human Autonomy

  • Behavioral Science, Design, Design Theory, Human factors

More autonomy and less dependency can improve our toxic relationship with digital technologies and benefit all of us, says Alexander Steinhart.

Article by Alexander Steinhart
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Designers And Developers Pay More Attention To Human Autonomy
  • The majority of tech companies concentrate on attracting active users and increasing consumption. Additionally, their economic incentives conflict with our own values and aspirations as users. 
  • According to the author, we should adhere to the rules of responsible, ethical, and humane design referred to as Design for Human Autonomy.
  • There are 3 conditions to design for human autonomy:
    • The user and their interactions with others should be prioritized over their use of the digital service;
    • In the end, consumers are encouraged to navigate mainly without the software itself;
    • The app’s values are transparent, and it respects the users’ values and objectives.
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5 min read

10 Types of Cognitive Bias To Watch Out For In UX Research & Design

  • Behavioral Science, Design, Design Theory, Human factors, Interviews, Psychology and Human Behavior

Visualising 10 types of bias in 10 visuals.

Article by Steffan Morris Hernandez
IDEAS IN BRIEF
10 Types of Cognitive Bias To Watch Out For In UX Research & Design
  • The article covers how crucial it is to address cognitive biases for navigating daily life as well as UX research and design. Our judgment and thought processes become biased, which might distort reality in accordance with our preconceived notions.
  • The author illustrates 10 examples of real-life cognitive biases and their reflection in UX research.
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5 min read

Design Fictions

  • Design, Design Theory, Direct Observation Research, UX Education, UX World Changing Ideas
Article by Joanna Ngai
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Design Fictions
  • Nowadays, people tend to change their online behavior because of the constant feeling of surveillance – this phenomenon is called the “chilling effect”. It affects all users, however, younger Internet users are more aware of their privacy navigation.
  • Nothing is private now – every realm of human life stays on the Internet forever.
  • Under such circumstances, the design’s future trajectory is not something the author is comfortable with. She advises always considering whether what you’re building helps increase sustainability while making design decisions.
  • Technology should remain a tool, design should satisfy a need, and neither should cause a decrease in human agency by pandering to our primary instincts. According to the author, negative drawbacks are something a designer should always keep in mind.
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Design Fictions

A linear thinker, a design thinker and a systems thinker walk into a bar…

  • Conversational Design, Data visualization, Design Theory, Human factors, Sketching, Strategy, UX Education, UX Magazine

Visualization of different ways of thinking about and solving complex problems.

Article by Houda Boulahbel
IDEAS IN BRIEF
A linear thinker, a design thinker and a systems thinker walk into a bar…
  • The author provides a vivid example to demonstrate the differences between various types of thinking — linear, design, and systems.
    • Linear thinking divides the problem into smaller sections, addressing each one independently.
    • The search for the best solution starts with the user’s needs and behavior in the search for design thinking.
    • With a focus on interactions and relationships between things, systems thinking adopts a more comprehensive perspective.
  • We place a lot of emphasis on linear thinking as a society. The author believes that the key to the most effective solutions lies within all three types combined.
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3 min read
A linear thinker, a design thinker and a systems thinker walk into a bar

The Designer’s Gaze

  • Customer Experience, Design, Design Theory, Human factors, UX Education, UX Magazine

The “designer’s gaze” has a huge impact on users’ perception — the way designers view and translate the world can have both intended and unintended consequences.

Article by Srishti Mehrotra
IDEAS IN BRIEF
The Designer’s Gaze

• Now designers start adopting a very particular perspective, referred to as the designer’s gaze, through which they begin to view their work and the wider world. The author speculates on the concept of the “designer’s gaze” and how much control over users it has.

• We are aware that many of our current issues are a result of the fixes we found for earlier issues. That’s why it’s vital to find a balance between intended and unintended consequences as a designer.

• In order to contribute insights to our work that go beyond those framed by flows and personas, we must seek out opportunities to listen to the world around us. That’s the key to equity design.

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5 min read

Stop Dividing Generative and Evaluative Research 

  • Customer Experience, Design, Design Theory, Research Methods and Techniques, The Evolution of Research, UX Education

Every UX research method should generate new insights about the people we study and allow us to refine our understanding of the problems our products are trying to solve. Distinguishing “generative” and “evaluative” studies doesn’t always make sense. 

Article by Lindsey Wallace
IDEAS IN BRIEF
Stop Dividing Generative and Evaluative Research 
  • UX research is a strange thing, being divided into “generative” and “evaluative” studies, the former conducted ideally early in product development, the latter further along in the process.
  • The author shares some ways to expand requests for evaluative research into research with generative insights.
  • Here are some tips that might help you conduct your qualitative research session:
    • Begin by asking users “casual” questions to build rapport.
    • Ask them about their favorite and least favorite parts of their job, to walk me through a typical day.
    • Try to orient the concept test around them.
    • Ask stupid questions when people react to a concept.
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8 min read

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