User-testing is crucial in modern product design. The perception-centric design philosophy aims to cut costs and improve responses to low-cost prototypes by including aspects like thermal properties, texture, weight, sound, and haptic feedback. This paper introduces a set of considerations for integrating low-cost vibrotactile haptics into prototypes. Derived using an action-based research process, it addresses product characterisation, actuation, control, and integration. Multi-sensory prototypes in early-stage design could be vital for the sustainable prototyping of the future.

Extensive research found many barriers and drivers in second-hand clothing (SHC) acquisition. This study explores their relationships and the role of design in enhancing SHC experiences. 16 semi-structured interviews revealed insights into personal experiences and emotions. Customer journey mapping highlighted 5 design interventions: a. effective branding and marketing, b. appealing clothing presentation, c. facilitating garment search, d. aiding quality inspection, and e. optimizing price-quality balance. Future, quantitative, research is needed to confirm the findings for a wider public.

The graphical user interface was introduced to democratize access to computer systems by simplifying hardware and visual interfaces. Technological advancements further reduced the constraints, primarily benefiting the mainstream users. However, the specialized needs of the critical users have always been neglected. This paper delves into the ergonomics of the mouse pointer and the computer mouse, focusing on left-handed computer users as a critical user category to develop and propose a universal design solution to integrate left-handers as a mainstream user category in a computer interface.

Inertial motion capture has garnered considerable attention within the manufacturing industry for ergonomic assessments due to high reliability and fewer constraints compared to alternative posture tracking direct measurement tools. However, these wearable systems, while ensuring reliability and precision in the results, also introduce a degree of invasiveness. Hence, user experience becomes an important aspect for design and development of such systems. This paper reveals major user experience issues resulting from an experimental study for promoting user-centred design of wearable systems.

In this study, the relationship between user experience, product appearance and emotional impressions generated by the user are examined through electric concept cars introduced by automotive companies in motor shows. The focus of the research is on the measurement of the emotional experiences that the interior design of the electric concept cars awakens in the user. The main purpose of the study is to open a discussion on the relation between the emotional impressions and product appearance.

This paper outlines the evolution of decision-making spaces through selected instantiations, analyzing the role of design in their utility and identifying preliminary patterns in spatial layout. It builds on the combination of two research fields: A) Decision support systems and B) Creative Spaces. The paper aims to take a first step towards combining these two existing research fields by focusing on the spatial design aspects that foster the convergent aspect of creativity and to provide guidance for further research on the design of decision-making spaces.

This paper addresses challenges in pediatric urotherapy, focusing on low patient compliance and motivation. Informed by creative sessions with children aged 9-13y, a novel urotherapy ecosystem concept is designed. It includes a smart drinking bottle, context-aware reminder watch, home uroflowmeter, smartphone app, and clinician portal. Interconnected products, embodied interaction, stigma-free design, and a digital training buddy aim to enhance engagement, motivation, and patient experience. This concept showcases the potential of integrating diverse design methodologies in healthcare design.

Designing an equally usable and emotionally appealing product remains a challenge for product developers, not least due to conflicting goals. Product developers need to constantly map the affective user requirements to the product, whereby the requirements for the emotional and usable product design often cannot be equally addressed. The systematic approach presented can help product developers in conflicting decision-making situations to represent these affective user requirements by selecting and prioritising context-relevant influencing factors using multi-criteria decision-making methods.

Developmental Language Disorders (DLDs) affects a significant number of children during early childhood. Speech and Language Pathologists (SLPs) are vital in providing the adequate treatment through Speech and Language Therapeutic Toys (SALTTs) including board games, which have substantial benefits for children undergoing therapy. However, designers require support in designing board games which specifically target child therapy. A framework is proposed to assist designers in designing more efficient, inclusive and usable games which in turn are aligned with therapy goals defined by SLPs.

User experience (UX) application in the practice of engineering and product design is still limited. The present paper provides insights into research on UX design and recommendations for design practitioners by pointing out common criticalities. These outcomes are achieved through a literature review on how UX relates to design. First, issues in benefitting from UX understanding in design are identified with a specific focus on theoretical contributions. Second, experimental papers investigating UX and design are analysed in relation to previously identified issues. Although issues are present to some extent in all the contributions, the empirical studies dealing with UX in design are overall valid. The results highlight UX’s support in revealing design requirements, but its capability of steering design processes is arguable, as concrete guidelines for practitioners are not well described. Based on identified issues, the authors propose a checklist to make UX studies in design more reliable and their outcomes more comparable.

The application of biological materials in everyday design is gaining traction and designers are encouraged to employ biological systems through biodesign and biophilia. However, there is a deficiency in the understanding of potential consumers’ perceptions. This paper compares the perception of non-designers as well as designers towards design-embedded bio-materials. Data was collected from 234 respondents using an online survey. The findings were gathered by evaluating perception in terms of desirability, practicality, aesthetically, and familiarity with living and non-living biomaterials.

Numerous and complex sequence of activities in medical device development often result in time consuming and expensive engineering processes. In this study, patient and designer requirements were identified and integrated within a novel framework which supports medical device design through a consolidated understanding of user-experience whilst directly coalescing the applicable regulatory requirements in terms of product compliance and certification. This assists in the development of safe and reliable products which reflect the need for increased usability considerations during design.

Augmented Reality seems a promising tool to provide engaging and effective educational experiences, thanks to its potentiality in stimulating intrinsic motivation, that could influence the learning process and the attitude of the users towards behaviours. This paper presents the Resized Plastic Augmented Reality learning experience, designed on the basis of Dunleavy's framework to provide a systemic overview of the microplastics issue to allow users to understand its mechanisms, educate them about their role in the system and help them to connect this information to their everyday actions.

The aim of the paper is to identify from the perspective of designers, what is required to optimally design smart habilitation devices for additive manufacturing, whilst ensuring a high quality multi-user experience. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with designers to identify the key requirements to develop such devices. The outcome of this study will provide a preliminary framework for designers to take advantage of the state-of-the-art of design for additive manufacturing in order to meet the expectations of multiple users of smart devices for pediatric occupational therapy.

The integration of user perception into the design process has become necessary to provide the best experience to users. All methods focusing on the interpretations of products are based on the same principle: identifying relationships between a semantics and physical attributes of products within a product domain. Sometimes this domain makes the definition of these relations more complex as for a dialogic context of us due to the lack of existing product. We propose in this paper a method to define a semantics directly from products attributes in regards with a dialogic product domain.

A psychological experiment was conducted to explore the relationship between design features of physical controllers and perceived multiple meanings or possible operations by users. In particular, we focused on affordances and informatives, two semantic clues derived from product semantics, to find out how these clues affect users’ perceptions. The results indicated that both desired shapes, text, and icon could encourage and discourage the perception of specific operations. Those empirical data could be useful for product designers in communicating effectively with users through their products.

An innovative design process which has been conducted under the restrictions during the covid-19 pandemic is in focus in this study. Visits were banned so user-centred design activities were particularly challenged by the necessity to meet and work online. The purpose of the study is to present and reflect on how user-centred design was done under those conditions. The potential users, the reindeer herders, were merely contacted online, the user investigation were supported by for example using videos and storytelling. Also, the final concept is presented.

With evolution of Graphical User Interface, the access to the computer interface was expanded to cater to the extreme user categories by providing accessibility features and making the computer interface more inclusive. One such extreme user category is colourblind, which has a special accessibility requirement from the GUI. This paper studies the iconography of the Microsoft Windows operating system interface with an objective to develop an inclusive icon design solution that is visually ergonomic for colourblind users to include them as a mainstream user category in a computer interface.

Online peer support platforms have been shown to provide a supportive space that can enhance social connectedness and personal empowerment. Some studies have analysed forum messages, showing that users describe a range of advantages, and some disadvantages to their use. However, the direct examination of users’ experiences of such platforms is rare and may be particularly informative for enhancing their helpfulness. This study aimed to understand users’ experiences of the Support, Hope and Recovery Online Network (SHaRON), an online cognitive behavioural therapy-based peer support platform for adults with mild to moderate anxiety or depression. Platform users (n = 88) completed a survey on their use of different platform features, feelings about using the platform, and overall experience. Responses were analysed descriptively and using thematic analysis. Results indicated that most features were generally well used, with the exception of private messaging. Many participants described feeling well supported and finding the information and resources helpful; the majority of recent users (81%) rated it as helpful overall. However, some participants described feeling uncomfortable about posting messages, and others did not find the platform helpful and gave suggestions for improvements. Around half had not used the platform in the past 3 months, for different reasons including feeling better or forgetting about it. Some described that simply knowing it was there was helpful, even without regular use. The findings highlight what is arguably a broader range of user experiences than observed in previous studies, which may have important implications for the enhancement of SHaRON and other platforms.