A talk given by Professor Robert Youmans of George Mason University (http://humanfactors.gmu.edu/research/cdux) to the NOVA UX Meetup group about Design Fixation, how Design Fixation affects UX, and some research about how Design Fixation might be prevented.
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Design Fixation for UX Professionals in 10 Minutes or Less! (Dec. 11, 2013)
1. What UX Designers
Need to Know about Design Fixation
Robert J. Youmans, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Creative Design and User Experience (CDUX) Laboratory Group
George Mason University
December 11, 2013
2. Design Fixation
1. Psychological Problem: Design Fixation
2. How Design Fixation Can Disrupt Optimal UX
Design
3. Ways to Avoid Design Fixation Based on
Psychological Research
3. The Problem: Design Fixation
In clinical psychology, 'fixation' is a type of Freudian symptom
whereby one person becomes obsessed with an idea or person.
4. The Problem: Design Fixation
Design Fixation – a measurable, blind adherence to past ideas or
concepts that limits the creativity and output of designers (Jansson&
Smith, 1991).
Examples of Design Fixation:
(American Mechanical Engineers; Jansson& Smith, 1991)
5. The Problem: Design Fixation
Design Fixation – a measurable, blind adherence to past ideas or
concepts that limits the creativity and output of designers (Jansson&
Smith, 1991).
Examples of Design Fixation:
(European Industrial Design Students; Cardoso &Badke-Schaub, 2011)
6. The Problem: Design Fixation
Design Fixation – a measurable, blind adherence to past ideas or
concepts that limits the creativity and output of designers (Jansson&
Smith, 1991).
Examples of Design Fixation:
(Teams of 3 American Engineers;
Linsey, Tseng, Fu, Cagan, Wood, &Schunn, 2010)
7. Design Fixation
1. Psychological Problem: Design Fixation
2. How Design Fixation Can Disrupt Optimal UX
Design
3. Ways to Avoid Design Fixation Based on
Psychological Research
8. Design Fixation & UX Design
Infrared LED Circuit (2010's)
Infrared LED Circuit (1990's)
Atlas Remote(~1990's)
New Version (2010)
Design Fixation!
10. Design Fixation
1. Psychological Problem: Design Fixation
2. How Design Fixation Can Disrupt Optimal UX
Design
3. Ways to Avoid Design Fixation Based on
Psychological Research
11. Researching Design Fixation
• *We recruited nine GMU Civil Engineering students enrolled in a
mixed graduate/undergraduate course on ‘Inventive Engineering’
(Average Age = 22.4 years; 33% Female).
• We asked them to design another version of a poorly-designed
recruitment poster for Psi Chi (the psychology honor society).
• An SR Research Eye Link II head-mounted eye tracker was used to
watch designers’ eye movements while viewing an example design.
*See: Smith, M. A., Youmans, R. J., Bellows, B. G., & Peterson, M. S. (2013). Shifting the
focus: an objective look at design fixation. In Design, User Experience, and Usability. Design
Philosophy, Methods, and Tools (pp. 144-151). Springer Berlin Heidelberg.
12. Researching Design Fixation
1. We told participants a cover story.
The following is a bad poster example that did
not work…PLEASE design something better.
14. Researching Design Fixation
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
15. Researching Design Fixation
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
16. Researching Design Fixation
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
17. Researching Design Fixation
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
18. Researching Design Fixation
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
3. They Brainstormed (10 min)
Blank Screen…
?
19. Researching Design Fixation
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
3. They Brainstormed (10 min)
4. They drew a new design (10 min)
20. Researching Design Fixation
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
3. They Brainstormed (10 min)
4. They drew a new design (10 min)
5. Questionnaire about designing
21. Researching Design Fixation
What did you look at:
-First?
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
3. They Brainstormed (10 min)
4. They drew a new design (10 min)
5. Questionnaire about designing
22. Researching Design Fixation
What did you look at:
-First?
-Most Frequent?
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
3. They Brainstormed (10 min)
4. They drew a new design (10 min)
5. Questionnaire about designing
23. Researching Design Fixation
What did you look at:
-First?
-Most Frequent?
-Longest Duration?
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
3. They Brainstormed (10 min)
4. They drew a new design (10 min)
5. Questionnaire about designing
24. Researching Design Fixation
What did you look at:
-First?
-Most Frequent?
-Longest Duration?
Why did you look at
those items?
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
3. They Brainstormed (10 min)
4. They drew a new design (10 min)
5. Questionnaire about designing
25. Researching Design Fixation
End of Data Collection.
1. We told participants a cover story.
2. They viewed a bad example (2 min)
(while wearing an eye tracker)
3. They Brainstormed (10 min)
4. They drew a new design (10 min)
5. Questionnaire about designing
32. Researching Design Fixation
Analysis 1: Did Designers Fixate – and if so, by how much?
Average Fixation of Engineers = 4.44 (out of 25 possible fixation
features)
Most Frequently Fixated Items:
- Rainbow Text (n = 5)
- Head Profile (n = 4)
- Trees (n = 4)
33. Researching Design Fixation
Analysis 2: Did eye gaze during scene viewing predict design fixation?
Eye Tracking:
1st – Duck
Frequent – Speech Bubble
Longest – Slide
34. Researching Design Fixation
Analysis 2: Does locus of attention during scene viewing predict design
fixation?
100%
90%
Eye Tracking Data
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
22.00%
20%
11.00%
11.00%
Most Frequently
Longest Duration
10%
0%
First
Chance (17.76%)
38. Researching Design Fixation
TAKE HOME MESSAGES:
1. Professionals (from all backgrounds) experience design fixation.
2. Design fixation affects UX design because old design concepts are
often not the best in terms of UX.
3. Given that many of us in the design community often work from prior
example, taking a balanced approach to their critique may protect
against design fixation in your own work.
39. UX at George Mason University
The Human Factors/ UX Program at GMU:
•
The graduate program in Human Factors and Applied Cognition
(HFAC) provides instruction and research training (MA and PhD)
for students wishing to pursue careers in the academic, public, and
private sectors. Certificate programs in usability and human factors
in transportation are also offered.
•
Check out http://humanfactors.gmu.edu for more information.
•
Applications to the department's MA program in Human Factors
are due on: February 1, 2014
40. What UX Designers
Need to Know about Design Fixation
Robert J. Youmans, Ph.D.
Department of Psychology
Creative Design and User Experience (CDUX) Laboratory Group
George Mason University
December 11, 2013
Many Thanks to the Following:
My Funding Agent: The NSF's EAGER Program (Award CMMI-1226933)
My Colleagues: Drs. Matt Peterson (Psychology) and Tom Arciszewski
(Engineering)
My Students: Melissa Smith, Brooke Bellows, Jordan Higgins, Ivonne
Figueroa,
Christian Gonzalez, Melody Weaver, Mallory
DeMarines, Chris
Ummen, Amy Higgins, Kevone
Bennett, David Kim.
