Module 10: Proposed Trends and Future Projections
Readings for Module 10/Week 10 of Class
Required Readings
Reading 1: Course Textbook (Rocket Surgery Made Easy) chapters 14, 15, and 16
These chapters note how to apply usability-related ideas in your future work. They also provide insights on the short-term future of usability – particularly on "core" ideas and practices that might remain stable over time. As you read these chapters, consider how they can provide a foundation for thinking about ways usability and user experience design might change over time.
Reading 2: 3 Big Ideas Shaping a Design Industry in Flux
As we've seen, usability is connected to design processes, so shifts in design over time will affect usability and user testing. This 2017 article from the online magazine Fast Company summarizes what were seen as prospective trends in the design industry a short time ago. As such, this entry provides insights on the factors individuals considered central to the future of usability and user experience design in the not-so-distant past. The factor to consider as you read this entry are how many of the trends and predictions noted in 2017 still seem relevant today and which ones seem to have faded. Consider how such an historical comparison can help us assess the efficacy of such predictions as well as the metrics used or topics focused on when making such predictions.
Reading 3: The state of UX in 2020
This article from the online resource UX Trends provides annual projections presenting one perspective on what usability trends in a year to come will be. (The State of 2020, for example, is published at the close of 2019 to present a projection of what the next year holds in store.) This positioning makes The State of UX in 2020 an interesting mechanism for assessing what trends actually came to fruition in a given year, what trends faded away or never emerged, and what new and unexpected developments affected the field. As you review this (and perhaps even a few preceding yearly reports), consider what factors seem to be the focal point for identifying "coming" trends. Additionally, as we come to the end of 2020, also consider how events that played out this year affected the trends others had projected for 2020.
Reading 4: The Future of UX Research
This entry from the online usability/UX clearinghouse Medium presents one "expert's" perspective on the trends that would shape usability -- and related research practices -- for the future. Again, this entry was written toward the end of 2019, and as such, it contains interesting projections for what factors should have affected usability/UX research in 2020. As you review this entry, consider what factors the author focuses on in determining trends for the future, what factors seemed to alter those trends in 2020 , and what approaches and ideas individuals can take from this entry and use to identify factors that could affect the development of usability and UX in the future.
Reading 5: Top 4 Tech Trends that Every UX Designer Must Know
In addition to trends in certain areas, usability professionals also need to remain current on developments that can affect practices within usability. This 2017 entry, published on the blog Prototypr, summarizes some of the technology trends it was thought usability professionals needed to be aware of to remain effective in their own field in the future. As you review this entry, consider how the ideas presented here parallel those seen in other readings from (and trends and developments examined in) the class. Also consider how they compare to ideas presented in the other readings for this Module/week. In so doing, focus on the items considered important or central to tends and future practices and how relevant such items are in relation to the context of engaging in usability-related activities in 2020.
Reading 1: Course Textbook (Rocket Surgery Made Easy) chapters 14, 15, and 16
These chapters note how to apply usability-related ideas in your future work. They also provide insights on the short-term future of usability – particularly on "core" ideas and practices that might remain stable over time. As you read these chapters, consider how they can provide a foundation for thinking about ways usability and user experience design might change over time.
Reading 2: 3 Big Ideas Shaping a Design Industry in Flux
As we've seen, usability is connected to design processes, so shifts in design over time will affect usability and user testing. This 2017 article from the online magazine Fast Company summarizes what were seen as prospective trends in the design industry a short time ago. As such, this entry provides insights on the factors individuals considered central to the future of usability and user experience design in the not-so-distant past. The factor to consider as you read this entry are how many of the trends and predictions noted in 2017 still seem relevant today and which ones seem to have faded. Consider how such an historical comparison can help us assess the efficacy of such predictions as well as the metrics used or topics focused on when making such predictions.
Reading 3: The state of UX in 2020
This article from the online resource UX Trends provides annual projections presenting one perspective on what usability trends in a year to come will be. (The State of 2020, for example, is published at the close of 2019 to present a projection of what the next year holds in store.) This positioning makes The State of UX in 2020 an interesting mechanism for assessing what trends actually came to fruition in a given year, what trends faded away or never emerged, and what new and unexpected developments affected the field. As you review this (and perhaps even a few preceding yearly reports), consider what factors seem to be the focal point for identifying "coming" trends. Additionally, as we come to the end of 2020, also consider how events that played out this year affected the trends others had projected for 2020.
Reading 4: The Future of UX Research
This entry from the online usability/UX clearinghouse Medium presents one "expert's" perspective on the trends that would shape usability -- and related research practices -- for the future. Again, this entry was written toward the end of 2019, and as such, it contains interesting projections for what factors should have affected usability/UX research in 2020. As you review this entry, consider what factors the author focuses on in determining trends for the future, what factors seemed to alter those trends in 2020 , and what approaches and ideas individuals can take from this entry and use to identify factors that could affect the development of usability and UX in the future.
Reading 5: Top 4 Tech Trends that Every UX Designer Must Know
In addition to trends in certain areas, usability professionals also need to remain current on developments that can affect practices within usability. This 2017 entry, published on the blog Prototypr, summarizes some of the technology trends it was thought usability professionals needed to be aware of to remain effective in their own field in the future. As you review this entry, consider how the ideas presented here parallel those seen in other readings from (and trends and developments examined in) the class. Also consider how they compare to ideas presented in the other readings for this Module/week. In so doing, focus on the items considered important or central to tends and future practices and how relevant such items are in relation to the context of engaging in usability-related activities in 2020.
Other Module 10/Week 10 Materials
To access other materials for Module 10/Week 10, click on the related link below