Two examples of XD applications

[From Mark Dixon]

Example #1: User Design in nonprofit (suggested by alumni Wendy Lam who works in UD for UNICEF):

Within experience design, there is a set of methodologies and research methods that focus on the needs of people. It’s commonly called human-centered design or ethnographic research. That research could be highly technical or ethnographic depending on the product/service and objectives at hand.  Creating services that respect people’s needs and context in particular ensure a higher rate of adoption and success.

An example: U-report, an iteration of a mobile SMS technology that allows young people in low resource environments to interact with each other and governmental agencies. Some use cases include:

• Asking sensitive questions about AIDS and sexuality
• Determining if a clinic is open (so the family will not walk distance to another village only to find out otherwise)
• Giving their governments feedback on unemployment, job applications requirements, etc., and therefore effect improvements

The same technology underlying U-report has also been used for

• birth registrations (so new-borns and mothers could claim rights and benefits)
• track school supplies and medical inventories
• voter registrations

Example #2: User Design in Libraries (suggested by Guilford’s new UX Librarian Megan Hinson):

From College & Undergraduate Libraries Volume 22, Issue 3-4, 2015:

Walking in Your Users’ Shoes: An Introduction to User Experience Research as a Tool for Developing User-Centered Libraries

Abstract: In the past decade, User Experience research and design has gained significant traction in the business world. It also has much to offer to academic libraries. In this framework, the center of attention is always the users and their experience with an organization at all physical and digital touchpoints. User Experience research can be used to discover how patrons interact with the library as well as any potential trouble spots, where patrons become frustrated or even choose not to use the library at all. This research can then be used to inform user-centered design. User Experience research is an iterative process, and the work of discovering how patrons experience the library is never done.