Another "UX is dead" article.
From stone tools shaped for another's grip to AI interfaces designed for intuitive use - we've always been in the business of making things work better for others.
Usability is not a modern concept. It’s as old as humanity. It is as old as that first moment, when one human made stone tools to fit the hands of another. Making someone else’s experience better is a part of our very being.
It’s what we do. We design experiences. Day in. Day out.
Every time I see a “UX is dead becuase AI is here to do everything and take your job”: I experience a mix of nausea, anger, and tiredness. I express this rather complex emotion through a dry sighing laugh. Have we really just boiled down to being reactive, and short-sighted sensationalists.
A good designer works on a foundation of evidence, logic, and objectivity. So, over the next few paragraphs I am going to show you UX is not dead. It’s changing. It’s evolving, as it has always done. But, it is definitely not dead. I will also share some ideas on how experience design will change.
Previous deaths of UX
Nope. Not true. The term UX came about in the 1990s. UX is just the latest iteration of human-centered design. Here’s a rapid fire overview of the past 100ish years of experience design history.
Industrial revolution and human factors (1850s - 1900s)
What died: Craftmanship.
Why: Mass production become a thing.
A craftsman had relationship with his or her customers. A relationship that had a natural feedback loop. They could adjust their products and creations based on direct feedback from their customers.
Mass production changed this relationship drastically. No more feedback loops. To aid and improve mass production we started studying:
How humans work and move
How to design tools/processes are human capabilities (and limitations)
And, thus was born the discipline of “Human Factors Engineering”.
Post-War era and Ergonomics (1940s)
What died: Mass Production V0 - one size fits all
Why: We moved away from “adapt worker to tool” to “adapt tool to worker”
Basically, WW2 ramped the research into human performance. Millitary equipment releaved flaws in design. For example, the Royal Air Force studied pilot errors and came to the conclusion: "operator error” was actually “design error”. (Fitts & Jones "Psychological aspects of instrument display" (1947))
These findings fed back into the industrial word and we realised that comfort was good for productivity (Grandjean, E. "Fitting the Task to the Man" (1969))
Computer Age and HCI (1980s - 1990s)
What died: physical interfaces (sort of)
Why: Because we came with screens and GUIs!
New technologies come with their own rules of use. Software ran on computer screens. The mode of interaction had to be one that allowed you to work in sync with your device.
Filing cabinets got replaced by hard drives (once again, sort of). Letters got replaced by email. We were still doing all the same stuff… there was a just a new of doing it. “Point and click”, “drag and drop”, and “cut and paste” became a part of our vocabulary (and our lives).
Norman calls it UX (1990s)
Let’s avoid the “what died” segment here (long live Don!).
Don Norman’s work fused an element of human psychology into interface design. We expanded from looking at just interfaces to considering the holistic experiences of the users. The emotional impact of design was introduced. And most importantly, the boundary between physical and digital started to blur.
Cloud and web usability (2000s)
What died: Old software design practices (where everything was controlled)
Why: Devices started to come in all shapes, sizes, powers, and specifications. Software started to boom. The days of fixed screen resolutions, local machine installations, and known environments were coming to an end.
Everyone was getting a computer. Everyone was getting access to everything. But, having access did not (and does not) equal usability. Your product had to be designed for access and use by anyone. It had to be intuitive. It had to fast, clear, and consistent. You had to test your assumptions with users, and ship new features quickly… or lose business.
The waterfall world of software design and delivery did not support this. Agile started to flow.
Mobile and responsive design (2010s)
What died: Desktop-first design
Why: Because mobiles took off. They were smaller. They had internet access. And, they were everywhere. Users expected continuity.
The mode we were designing for changed. If a user was reading something on their desktop and then had to get on a bus, they expected to be able to continue their reading on the device in their pocket. Adaptability and responsiveness became crucial.
The UX phoenix rises again
We have Ai, automation, VR, AR, voice interfaces, IoT, blockchain, no-code development, and a whole host of disruptions coming. But, the products are still being designed by humans for humans. Experience design is not dead. It is now evolving to cater to the next wave of changes.
These are transformation opportunities. The products that we build will be different. There will be new tools. The ways of building a product will change.
But, the design principles remain constant. Our need to “get the thing done” as smoothly and simply as possible is not going anywhere.
Ai is meant to enhance our work. Robots are meant to help us work faster. The same is true for Ai and UX. These are tools. They are here to make our lives easier.
So stop worrying. Start learning and experimenting. If you don’t, the only thing that will be dying is your capacity and ability to enjoy this incredible time.
What to do next:
I’ll do my own research and experimentation and write more.
But, for now… follow Tony Moura on LinkedIn for an experienced perspective and guidance on how to incorporate Ai tools into your flow.
Follow Dr Nick Fine on LinkedIn for no-nonsense content on psychology, design, and research.
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