UX & HF: The State of the Union

Abstract

The disciplines of HF and UX appear to be drifting further apart, with careers in UX continuing to grow at rates that far surpass those in HF. Does this divergence come at a cost, or is it a natural step that lends clarity and focus to the two disciplines, or both? In this panel we will explore the reasons for this separation and how this divergence has been reflected in our own career from a range of perspectives, ranging from research practices that incorporate both disciplines as critical aspects of the design process, to those where HF processes underlie the approach to UX, to those that trade scientific rigor in favor of democratization of the discipline. We will discuss the implications of this separation, and how (and if) to bridge the gap.