This is the second workshop from my co-students that I experienced, because I was sick at week four. I like how they made the workshop via zoom, because it fits the topic of user-experience, at least in a virtual environment. I kind of struggled with my internet at home , because the connection wasn’t good. That’s why I at first joined the zoom class on my phone, and then on my laptop.
The first thing we had to do was to describe our toothbrush and our personal experiences with it. It was kind of hard for me to think of experiences, because using a toochbrush is such a routine thing to do. My toothbrush has a cover, which makes it easier to transport it and take it with me, when I need it on the go, which is quite practical.
I like how Anja and Tara used such a normal everyday task to portray an user experience.
At one point we were put into break rooms in zoom, to discuss some questions. Since I wasn’t able to answer all the questions in the break room, I will try to answer them all on this page.
I wouldn’t say that UX designers have purposely designed everyday life. In a way, everyone is a UX designer. I took part in the firm hopping that was organized by the Interaction Design Education Summit and in one company, the UX designers started off as industrial designers and grew into being UX/UI designers. This is an interesting developpement, which I think takes place in a lot of other environments besides design. Even a doctor could be a UX designer. So to answer the question, yes UX designers have designed our daily life.
No, there is always something to learn or take with you from every situation. I think negative experiences are bad, if they lead to trauma or some other damages, that lead to hindrances in your day to day life.
I would say it depends on how you use social media and the algorithm, that is catered to you. But in general I would say, we are presented with a lot of beauty standards, life standarts, fear of missing out, because you are not doing the same things as other people are. I think the norm that would have affected me the most in the past would have been the different kinds of beauty standards, but now that I don’t use social media as much, these norms don’t affect me as much, because I don’t like to adjust my personality to any norms.
There is a documentation called Abstract, that came into my mind, as I read this question. There is an episode about the UX/UI designer of instagram. He explained, that he doesn’t let his children use instagram and that the app is designed to keep people scrolling for hours, which made me strongly aware of this problem. There are a lot of things that influence the user experience, for example where you put the icons, the readability, etc. But I feel like the main focus lies on encuraging people on using the apps and keeping them occupied and finding new ways to get their attention.
Anything including physical touch, like hugs, kisses, sex and so on. I would not like it if relationships and friendships would be digitalized, because these experiences would be less personal. The same thing with traveling and sports.