🤓 Interaction Nerds by UXA | F24.05
Designing for Empathy: Maintaining User Confidence, Physical vs Digital Attachments, Emotional Design, and Post-Pandemic Digital Accessibility!
👋 Announcements — GBM: Portfolio Feedback!
Want to sharpen up your portfolio before applying to design jobs? Join us Thursday (10/3) from 5:00-6:00pm in NSH 3305 for an opportunity to get portfolio feedback from UXA board/team members and your HCI peers!
🍎 Maintaining User Confidence in Evolving Tech Products
Written & edited by: 🐥 Grace Conard
How can companies determine and sustain an innovation velocity that consistently takes advantage of new technological advancements while ensuring that users maintain a strong understanding and comfortability with the product?
This summer, I worked at a BMW dealership as a Genius (aka Product Specialist) where I had the opportunity to learn both perspectives. Below I detail encounters that most surprised me, including features that flopped in the automotive industry, and my recommendations for consumer tech products to more effectively balance innovation and user confidence moving forward.
💫 When Photos become Pixels: Emotional Attachments to Physical vs. Digital Objects
Written & edited by: 🍳 Evelyn Lui
No matter who it may be, I’m sure everyone can recall a sentimental object that they’re attached to for a specific reason. That object may be a photo shared with a loved one who passed away, or a cherished book that was often read as a bedtime story. Yet, what happens to these emotional attachments as more and more of our physical possessions become digital?
📝 Cover to Cover — Emotional Design
Written & edited by: № Viviana Staicu
“Studies show that people often make decisions based on emotion, so we can’t separate emotion from conscious thought.” —Don Norman, “Emotional Design”
So we know that products and services which make us feel good keep us coming back. But good design isn’t just about making something beautiful and functional, its about tapping into the user’s subconscious. What’s at work here, is Emotional Design.
Today, I’ll be covering the key takeaways from Don Norman’s Emotional Design—the applicable techniques you can start using now. I highly recommend this short read.
🔨 Digital Accessibility in a Post-Pandemic World
Written & edited by: 👽 Joelle Lee
In 2020, as people around the world found themselves confined to their homes, technology became the primary means of communication. Social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok and video calling services such as Zoom and Google Meet surged in popularity.
Of course, this meant that people were getting more and more dependent on technology, but as reliance on technology grew, so did discussions around digital accessibility. This heightened awareness led to the introduction of new features—many of which have become second nature to us today—yet were transformative for individuals with disabilities. 🌟
🤔 Who’s behind the scenes?
The editors behind this week’s issue are 🐥 Grace Conard, 👽 Joelle Lee, 🍳 Evelyn Lui, № Viviana Staicu, and 🦑 Kaitlyn Ng
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