Category: Interaction Design

Day 1: Jobs to Be Done (JTBD)

In field of UX design, the “Jobs to Be Done” (JTBD) framework stands out as a profoundly useful tool that redefines how we think about users and their needs. Rather than focusing on static demographics or surface-level desires, JTBD digs deeper. It asks, what is the user trying to accomplish in their life? This talk introduced a perspective shift that is not just intellectually stimulating but practically transformative in how products should be designed and improved.

The central idea is that people “hire” products or services to do specific jobs. For example, people don’t just buy a drill, they buy a hole in the wall. This simple but powerful idea redirects our design focus from the product itself to the underlying problem it solves. For me, as a UX designer, this approach aligns well with user-centered methodologies but adds more clarity, structure, and empathy to the discovery phase.

What made the talk especially helpful was its practical breakdown of how to apply the framework in real-life product development. The speaker outlined actionable steps, such as conducting user interviews to discover “job stories” and replacing traditional user personas with “job personas” – which help uncover unmet needs or pain points users are actively trying to resolve. These job stories follow the format: “When I (situation), I want to (motivation), so I can (expected outcome).” This format goes beyond generic use cases and instead targets design interventions where they matter most.

Another valuable point from the talk was the idea that jobs can be both functional and emotional. This duality resonates with my work, especially in emotional UX design, where users’ feelings, expectations, and anxieties can play as large a role in product success as usability. For example, when designing a smart navigation system, understanding that a user hires the app not just to get from point A to B, but also to feel in control or less anxious in unfamiliar cities, leads to better, more humane design decisions.

Overall, the JTBD framework pushes designers to ask better questions and design more purposefully. It’s not just about usability anymore. It’s about usefulness in the context of a user’s real-world goals. From a professional perspective, this talk didn’t just teach a methodology; it challenged the default UX mindset and offered a more holistic way to understand and serve users. I now see myself using this lens regularly during research and ideation phases, often discovering richer, more actionable insights that might have been missed using more conventional methods.

Day 2: Dark patterns: Where does motivation end and illegal manipulation begin?

Dark patterns are deceptive design choices that push users toward actions they may not have chosen freely, such as hidden unsubscribe buttons or misleading consent forms. This talk critically explored where motivation ends and manipulation begins, making it highly relevant to ethical UX practice.

This talk was a wake-up call and a vital ethical checkpoint for anyone involved in UX/UI design. Dark patterns, those design tactics that manipulate users into taking actions they might not otherwise choose, are disturbingly prevalent in digital products. From sneaky pre-checked boxes to guilt-tripping copy (“Are you sure you want to miss this opportunity?”), these techniques challenge the very principles of ethical design.

What made this talk so impactful was how clearly it illustrated the fine line between motivation and manipulation. While designers naturally aim to guide users toward certain actions 8signing up, subscribing, completing a task) doing so without informed consent or user clarity turns motivation into coercion. This blurred line is not just a design concern, it’s a legal and moral one, too.

The speaker provided real-world examples from well-known companies and broke them down by intent, impact, and legal implications.The European Union’s Digital Services Act and consumer protection laws are discussed as growing forces that aim to curb these manipulative practices, suggesting that legality is finally catching up with unethical design.

As a UX/UI designer, this talk encouraged critical self-reflection. Have I, even unintentionally, contributed to dark pattern design in past projects? Where does my motivation to create a seamless user journey cross into manipulation? These are questions I believe every designer should continuously ask.

Clarity- Is the user fully informed?

Consent- Is the action truly voluntary?

Control- Can the user easily reverse or change decisions?

Integrating this checklist into design reviews, we not only protect users but also safeguard our professional integrity and the long-term trust in our products.

What I took away from the talk is the importance of designing with users, not at them. Transparency, simplicity, and respect for autonomy aren’t just buzzwords. They are foundational principles that separate persuasive UX from predatory practices. 

One key takeaway was a simple framework to assess ethical design: ensure clarity, require informed consent, and preserve user control. These principles help us stay on the right side of both user trust and the law.

This talk reminded me that great design isn’t just persuasive, it’s honest. Moving forward, I’ll carry this mindset into all stages of the design process.

The speaker explained how adding simple game-like elements—things like progress bars, badges, and friendly competition—can make everyday tasks more interesting and fun. Below, I’ll walk through the key points and describe the slides they showed so you can picture how these ideas work in real life.

Why Gamification Matters

The talk began by pointing out that humans love to see progress. The first slide showed a plain horizontal bar that gradually fills in as you complete tasks. The speaker said that when you see a bar inching toward 100%, you feel motivated to keep going. Even something as simple as coloring in a bar can boost engagement—people want to finish the “game” by filling up that bar.

Common Game Elements

Next, the presenter gave examples we all know. For instance, Nike+ runners get badges when they hit certain mileage goals, and they can share those badges with friends. That slide showed a row of colorful badge icons, each representing a milestone like “5K Run” or “First Half-Marathon.” The speaker noted that whenever you see a badge pop up, it feels like a small victory, which encourages you to lace up your shoes and keep running.

Real Results from Research

A later slide highlighted a study from the University of Colorado. It showed two simple bars on a graph: one said “Employee Engagement +48%” and the other said “Productivity +34%.” The speaker explained that when companies added game elements to their training programs—like points for finishing modules or badges for passing quizzes—their employees became almost half again more engaged and a third more productive. Seeing those numbers side by side really drove home how powerful gamification can be.

Practical Examples in Companies

The talk moved on to how big companies use these methods. One slide displayed IBM’s badge portal, where employees earn digital badges by completing courses. The badges appeared as little icons next to each person’s name, almost like medals in an online profile. The presenter said, “When you can show off that you’ve mastered a skill, you’re more likely to keep learning and help others do the same.” It was clear that even in large organizations, a small badge system can encourage ongoing training.

Peer Recognition and Points

Another slide showed a mockup of an internal “peer-to-peer” system. In the image, you could pick a colleague’s name from a dropdown, choose “send 10 points,” and write a short note like “Great job on that report!” The speaker emphasized that giving coworkers small points for positive feedback builds a culture of recognition. Those points could be cashed in for small prizes—coffee vouchers or company swag—so people felt appreciated.

Celebrating Small Wins

Towards the end, the presenter showed an animation-style slide that said “Achievement Unlocked!” with confetti bursting out. They reminded us that when someone completes a milestone—a training module, a sales target, or even a daily habit—you should celebrate it with a pop-up or small animation. That moment of recognition makes people feel good and want to keep going.

Putting It All Together

Finally, the talk wrapped up by listing three key ingredients for gamification:

1. Visual Progress: Use progress bars or charts so people can see how far they’ve come.
2. Small Rewards: Give points, badges, or public praise when someone completes a task.
3. Friendly Competition: Use leaderboards or let teams pick names so people feel a shared goal.

All in all, this session showed that gamification doesn’t need to be complicated. With just a few simple game pieces—like bars, badges, and leaderboards—you can turn ordinary tasks into something people want to finish.

Welcome to my Day 1 Expo vlog recap. The talk I would to talk about and my favorite one is “Design Component Development for GENAI.” In simple terms, it was about how to give an AI a set of building blocks so it can put together user interfaces on its own. Here’s my basic rundown:

The speaker started by showing a simple picture of how this process works. On one side, you write down a list of interface pieces—things like buttons, cards, or headers. In the middle, there is the AI that “reads” these pieces. On the other side, the AI makes a full screen or page using those pieces. It was neat to see that you don’t have to draw every screen by hand; instead, you explain to the AI what each piece does, and it puts them together for you.

First, the speaker explained how to describe each piece in a plain text format. For example, for a button, you write down:

• The text that will appear on the button (like “Submit”).
• What happens when someone clicks it (for example, “send form”).
• How it should look (such as size and color).

For a card (which is a box that might show a photo, a title, and some text), you would write down:

• The title text.
• The description text.
• The link or image URL.

The idea is that when you ask the AI to build something—like “Make me a signup form”—it uses the pieces you described. It finds the “input field” pieces for name and email, the “button” piece for submission, and arranges them neatly.

Next, the speaker talked about how to keep those pieces organized in code. Instead of saving them only in design files (like a picture or a static mockup), you save each piece with all its details in a code library. This way, the AI can look at those code definitions and know exactly what each piece can do. For each piece, you also add simple notes like:

• How big it should be on small screens.
• What color it should use.
• Any special labels for people using screen readers.

Then, when you give the AI a request like “Create a signup form with a title, fields for name and email, and a primary button,” it goes through the code library, picks the right pieces, and instantly shows you HTML or a picture of the form. In a live demo, the speaker typed a short request, and within seconds the AI put together a complete form with the correct text sizes, colors, and spacing for both phones and computers. It felt like magic.

Because the AI can generate many pieces very quickly, the speaker emphasized the need for a review step. Designers have to look at what the AI made and say, “Yes, keep this,” “Please fix that,” or “No, don’t use this.” This makes sure the library doesn’t get cluttered with unused or messy pieces.

Finally, the speaker shared a couple of simple examples. One was a dashboard generator: users choose the numbers or stats they care about, and the AI picks the right chart pieces, tables, and filters to build a dashboard. Another example was a mobile app mockup: the AI pulled real content from a database so the design didn’t use placeholder text. It saved the team a lot of time.

Walking out of the room, I felt excited. The main message was clear: AI won’t replace designers. Instead, AI can help designers work faster by taking simple instructions and building screens automatically. All we need to do is clearly describe our design pieces and keep them organized. Today’s session on GenAI design was eye-opening.

Zoltan Kollin’s talk on gamification was not just insightful, it completely shifted how I think about what gamification really means. Before this talk, I mostly thought of gamification as collecting points, completing levels, or earning badges. But Zoltan showed us that gamification can be so much more, even playful, analog, and emotional. It’s not just about digital tricks. It’s about turning everyday actions into meaningful experiences.

He began by showing how gamified training can boost engagement and productivity. One study from the University of Colorado, shown in the first image, revealed that gamified training led to a 48% increase in employee engagement and a 34% increase in productivity. That alone already proves how powerful gamification can be when it’s applied well.

One part that really stuck with me was when Zoltan talked about the “IKEA effect”, people tend to value things more when they’ve put effort into creating them. This idea was connected to customization, like on reddit, where users can customize their avatar. This emotional investment creates stronger engagement, because people feel a sense of ownership. (See image 2)

But then Zoltan really opened my mind when he showed a picture of a kid vacuuming (image 3). It wasn’t just a regular vacuum, it had a laser light at the front, making it feel like a toy or a game. Suddenly, a boring task became fun. That’s when I realized: gamification doesn’t need to be digital at all. It can be tactile, visual, playful—even a product design choice. He called this “unexpected gamification,” and it’s a brilliant way to change behavior, especially for tasks peopl usually avoid.

Another interesting example was the use of small steps, like adding musical steps to a staircase to encourage people to take the stairs instead of the escalator. Or painting a fly in a urinal in Amsterdam to improve aim. These examples prove that gamification can be subtle, simple, and still very effective.

Zoltan also talked about how gamification taps into our psychology. For instance, Duolingo uses streaks to keep people coming back. Progress bars (like the LinkedIn profile completeness) push us to finish what we started, this is known as the Zeigarnik Effect. And daily goals or eco-driving scores in cars are more examples of behavioral motivation through simple game mechanics.

This talk made me think more about my own research topic, EV charging stations. What if i could apply this kind of gamification to the charging experience? Right now, waiting while your car charges can feel boring. But what if there were small interactions, progress bars or playful moments that make it more engaging? Maybe a kid-friendly “eco mission” on screen, or a streak for smart, energy-efficient charging habits. These aren’t just fun ideas, they’re ways to design more user-centered, enjoyable experiences.

Gamification is not about making everything feel like a game, it’s about motivation, emotion, and experience. Thanks to this talk, I’ll definitely keep looking at ways to bring meaningful, playful interaction into my design projects.