Design: User Interface Design

In Part 1 of this three-part series on designing user experiences for the industrial environment, I explained that industrial automation is more human facing than you might think. Then, I discussed how the industrial environment itself presents difficult challenges for UX designers to overcome when designing software for human-machine interfaces (HMIs), covering both plant-floor and control-room environments. Finally, I shared some key principles of effective HMI design that apply to both environments.

The chaotic plant-floor environment impedes users’ ability to focus. Plus, the necessity of using personal protective equipment (PPE) affects their ability to perform actions on an HMI terminal. The control-room environment poses its own set of unique challenges. For example, in a control room, users must monitor several large HMI displays over an eight-to-twelve-hour shift, which can result in eye fatigue.

Now, in Part 2, I’ll explain some methods that industrial-automation UX designers can use to combat challenges relating to the design of isolated customer sites and to localizing information for global users. Read More

There’s no question that users will abandon any Web site or mobile app they don’t enjoy using. User experience is a key determinant of success or failure. Yet 73 percent of industry executives see user experience as one of the toughest challenges they face. Even well-funded sites and apps can fail to gain adoption without a good, user-focused design.

Some aspects of creating a quality user experience are obvious. For example, if users can’t figure out how to use your site, chances are high they’ll abandon your offering and look elsewhere. Likewise, the best product teams employ fleshed-out user personas to help them address each user’s specific needs.

But if you stopped there, you would be leaving out one of the most important—and hardest to define—components of a compelling user experience: user satisfaction. Read More

Today, patients can benefit massively from digital tools, which can influence their interactions with their caregivers and provide an all-around great experience. With this in mind, it has become necessary to provide empathetic designs for healthcare user interfaces. Patients use online portals to schedule appointments, access their health data, avail themselves of telemedicine, and even find healthcare providers. Empathetic designs can increase both the usability and accessibility of these portals.

The Context of Empathetic Design

Empathy is about understanding the feelings of others and remaining sensitive to them. When considering UX design, empathy is about creating user interfaces that cater to users’ emotional and cognitive needs. Within healthcare contexts, people’s emotions can get intense. The stakes are often enormously high. Life-and-death situations are not uncommon. An empathetic design can mean a smooth, comforting interaction instead of one that frustrates the patient. Read More