Paula Strugačevac – desres23.designandcommunication.net

by Paula Strugačevac - 5. Dezember 20245. Dezember 2024

#IMPULSE 1 – World Usability Congress

The World Usability Congress (WUC) was held in Graz from October 15 to 17, 2024, bringing together UX (User Experience) and CX (Customer Experience) experts from around the world. This year’s program highlighted more than 50 speakers from leading global companies such as Facebook, Amazon, IBM, while workshops and lectures covered the latest challenges and innovations in the industry.

First impression

Opening My Eyes to Digital Accessibility

The first impression I had of the entire congress was one of enthusiasm and excellent organization. The space was spacious and large, the workshops and lectures were divided into 4 halls and were held at the same time, so I had to choose which one to go to. The topics of the day were divided into UX strategy, UX research, Leadership and Masterclass. The content was accompanied by a website where you could find all the information about the schedule and lecturers, which was very useful. I knew that it was of significant benefit to have web support for such large events, but so far I had only encountered it at festivals. The first lecture called Incluthon really opened my eyes to what all the problems of the digital devices we use every day still are, but also how important they can be. This was not really a lecture, it was more of a demonstration of sorts. It fell under the topic of UX strategy and was conducted by Stefan Barac, Gerhard Kühne and special guest Claudio Zeni. Claudio Zeni is a person with serious visual disabilities, and he was the main demonstrator of the problem discussed. He showed us his experience of buying train tickets via app, which is minimally adapted to visually impaired people and is much more difficult for them with the set timer for buying tickets. The aim of the lecture was that when designing any service design, especially this type, all people must be taken into account and options that can be dealt with in the design should be considered, especially with the advent of AI, which can significantly help. The presentation was enlightening, not only because of its content but also because of the unexpected problems that occurred during the session itself. Due to technical problems, this presentation did not go quite as planned, with members of the audience gathering nearer the stage to hear and see better. This scenario itself-under less-than-ideal circumstances-is a call for inclusive design that accommodates all users. As someone studying communication design with minimal prior exposure to digital accessibility, this experience inspired me to integrate inclusivity into my work and future research.

Leadership in Design: Lessons from Joe Lanzisero

Another session that deeply resonated with me was a lecture by Joe Lanzisero titled Why We Do What We Do – Loving the User. A former illustrator with Disney, Lanzisero used stories and humor to talk about his career as he merged his experiences of storytelling with user-centered design. He spent a large part of his career working as an illustrator for Disney, where he realized how people connect with characters through vivid and human stories. He also talked about the important aspect of the process, both in illustration and design. You should never stop your process because it always leads you forward. Through the process, we come up with beautiful things, but also the beauty around us can be a great inspiration for the future. One of the important things he emphasized was that details matter, no matter how small they are. Every little detail that we pay attention to and devote our time to has a purposeful effect on the overall picture of the product, which is then ultimately much better and, he said, helps in making products that users can relate to. Also, what he emphasized was that we treat our users as guests. We always want to please our guests, they are not some strangers, they are first and foremost PEOPLE who come to our home, our store or our application and should always feel good, served and satisfied.

Impact

Given that I’m in Graz as an Erasmus student only for the winter semester and my design program at my home University is focused on communication design, I haven’t had too many encounters with inclusivity in digital design. Before WUC, I have never really known what Inclusive and Service Design could be. These sessions not only opened up my point of view but also inspired me regarding what I need to consider when writing and doing my Master Thesis. Accessibility and human-centered design are definitely going to be on my mind while creating an app for the Thesis but also for all the future work.

Links

by Paula Strugačevac - 31. Oktober 202431. Oktober 2024

Evaluation of a Master’s Thesis

The Master’s thesis I chose for this task is from University of Zagreb – School of Designs and it was written by Nikola Heged. The title of this Master Thesis is “TERAPINO — System for Advancing Therapeutic Techniques“.

1. Level of design

The design of this thesis follows the guidelines set by the university. While there is no freedom in designing the format itself, small adjustments to the layout of elements are allowed. In my opinion, the format used is quite interesting; it is rather large and horizontally oriented, which gives it a sense of importance and formality. The author skillfully utilized the given format to create a cohesive and harmonious whole.

2. Degree of innovation

I consider this project to be innovative because it connects the physical and digital aspects of therapy for children. The system fundamentally functions as a digital application with an extension in an analog form, depending on the specific needs of the therapeutic process, patients, and/or therapists. The system covers the process during therapy but also enables individual therapeutic activities that the child can complete independently at home or with parents. In this way, the overall therapeutic process is rounded out and enhanced, extending beyond the therapist’s office to the home environment.

3. Independence

The author collaborated extensively with the Polyclinic for Children and Youth of the City of Zagreb, and this project is based on their professional work. From this, I conclude that a great deal of effort and independence was invested in collecting, summarizing, and conceptualizing the project — under the mentorship of professors, of course.

4. Outline and structure

I find that the structure is clearly laid out, starting with an analysis of the area of interest, followed by creative research methods, which further guides the author towards defining the target group and designing the project. The flow of this thesis makes sense to me, and the sections are well-connected. In its outline, the topic appears to be well-focused and not overly broad, addressing only what is necessary for the final outcome.

5. Degree of communication

The degree of communication in this thesis is clear and effective. The author does a good job of keeping a consistent tone while explaining complex ideas in a simple way. The structure helps with communication by moving logically from one section to the next, so each point builds on the last one. The use of visuals and examples makes it easier to understand, which helps a wider audience follow along. This focus on communication adds to the overall clarity and effectiveness of the project.

6. Scope of the work

The scope of the work is well-defined and focused. The author clearly outlines the main goals and objectives, making it easy to understand what the project aims to achieve. He saw the clear pain points of the topic, and without going off track or including unnecessary information, worked his way to the solution. Overall, the scope of the project is appropriate and supports the main thesis effectively

7. Orthography and accuracy

The thesis is well organized, clearly divided into logical chapters and subchapters, also the author uses footnotes for citations the right way. However, the thesis does contain some spelling errors, which could have been avoided with a more thorough review of the entire work.

8. Literature

I believe that a sufficient number of works have been used for the literature review, all of them seem relevant and credible sources, which I consider very important for this topic. Additionally, the literature is divided into books, scientific articles, and online sources, which I appreciated as it makes it easier to review.

_{*This blog post was created with the help of ChatGPT, used for summarizing thoughts and translating them into English}