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Column: Envisioning New Horizons

UXmatters has published 11 editions of the column Envisioning New Horizons.

Top 3 Trending Envisioning New Horizons Columns

  1. The Intersection between IT Systems Architecture and the User Experience

    Envisioning New Horizons

    A critical look at UX design practice

    A column by Silvia Podesta
    January 20, 2025

    When we think about UX design, our minds often gravitate toward the features and functionalities that we can implement to make users’ interactions with a system smoother, more enjoyable, and ultimately, more satisfying. However, it is crucial that we not overlook a vital element that significantly influences the user experiences of the digital systems on which modern society relies: the architectures of IT (Information Technology) systems.

    The design and implementation of IT systems play a pivotal role in shaping how users engage with them. This has traditionally been the domain of IT professionals who are known as solution architects, so for many UX designers, this can feel like somewhat uncharted territory. Furthermore, because these systems operate behind the scenes, their complexities often seem like a black box—too technical or abstract to have any tangible effect on the user experience. Read More

  2. Designing for Privacy

    Envisioning New Horizons

    A critical look at UX design practice

    A column by Silvia Podesta
    October 7, 2024

    Data privacy has transformed from a niche concern to a global imperative. Recent trends reveal a significant shift in consumer attitudes toward data protection, particularly in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

    The Cisco 2022 Consumer Privacy Survey [1] paints a compelling picture: In 2023, an overwhelming 81% of users expressed apprehension about corporate data practices. Moreover, 64% of respondents reported avoiding businesses because of data-security concerns, while a striking 76% stated that they would stop purchasing products and services from companies that mishandle their personal information.

    These statistics underscore a growing trend in which users prioritize privacy in their digital interactions. In response to this evolving landscape, experts have introduced the concept of the privacy experience (PX), which advocates for the seamless integration of data privacy and UX design. This approach places users’ needs at the forefront, empowering them with granular control over their personal data throughout their digital journeys. [2] Read More

  3. Rethinking Cognitive Friction: The Answer to AI Overreliance

    Envisioning New Horizons

    A critical look at UX design practice

    A column by Silvia Podesta
    December 2, 2024

    Just a few years ago, UX professionals weren’t talking about topics such as user privacy, technological governance, cybersecurity, or sustainable information technology (IT) as much as we are now. We have come to an inflection point in the history of the Web and are now seeing some unintended implications of the digital innovations that have bubbled up on the Internet—from online fraud to mental-health issues to unsustainable consumerism. However, the ways in which we, as UX professionals, do our work has not yet caught up with these issues.

    As I touched upon in a previous column, UX design practices still hinge upon principles that maximize productivity, efficiency, and cognitive ease, in ways that are fundamentally at odds with some of the priorities and values that are emerging today. The formalization of these principles is grounded in the notion of user-centered design (UCD), a paradigm that gained steam at the onset of the Internet era, in the late ’90s. [1]

    If people’s attitudes toward and needs for digital experiences are shifting, why are we still using the same UX design methods that made sense for the burgeoning Web? Read More

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