During this semester, we had the course Future Design Lab by Raphaela Egger. The class focuses on future thinking, system analysis and understanding complexity in design processes. This course made me reflect deeply on my Master thesis topic, as it is also related to emerging technologies, innovation and future-oriented design.
My Master thesis deals with user experience and onboarding processes in public electric vehicle (EV) charging systems. EV charging is a relatively new and still evolving field. Many users experience uncertainty, confusion and frustration when using public charging infrastructure for the first time. Because of this I strongly connected the content of Future Design Lab with my own research topic and cam to the point that i definetly should write an impulse about it to also reflect on it.
One of the most important impulses from the course was the idea that designers should not only focus on single interfaces or isolated problems, but instead understand the whole system in which a design is embedded. This shift in perspective helped me to see EV charging onboarding not just as a UX problem, but as a complex socio-technical system. (https://www.interaction-design.org/literature/topics/socio-technical-systems?srsltid=AfmBOooix6XdupAkLQ0EaxDAz2jfQfAdeIQc8iXnE7FHTPwaU1MRQEUK)
A central method we learned in the course is system analysis, which helps to understand how different elements influence each other. A useful framework for this is the 5R Model, consisting of Resources, Rules, Roles, Relations and Results. Applying this model to my thesis topic gave me new insights.
Resources in the EV charging system include technical infrastructure, digital interfaces, user data, electricity, time, and the users’ attention and cognitive capacity. Especially for first-time users, mental resources such as confidence and trust play a crucial role.
Rules are defined by charging standards, payment systems, regulations, pricing models, and platform-specific requirements. These rules often differ between providers, which creates inconsistency and confusion during onboarding.
Roles include EV drivers, charging station providers, app developers, energy companies, municipalities, and designers. Each role has different responsibilities and levels of power within the system.
Relations describe how these roles interact. For example, users depend on apps and stations working together, while providers depend on regulations and technical standards. Poor coordination between these relations often leads to negative user experiences.
Results are the outcomes of the system, such as successful charging, user satisfaction, trust in e-mobility, or in negative cases frustration, abandonment and anxiety. These results influence whether users are willing to adopt electric mobility in the future.
Through the Future Design Lab, I realized that onboarding is not only about explaining how something works. It is also about reducing uncertainty in a system that is still changing. This is where future thinking becomes highly relevant. Future thinking encourages designers to accept uncertainty and design solutions that are flexible, robust and supportive during transitions.
This impulse has influenced my research approach significantly. I now see onboarding as a strategic design intervention that helps users navigate complex systems during technological change. It also strengthened my decision to use system mapping and user journey analysis as part of my methodology.
This course of Future Design Lab gave me an important impulse for my Master thesis by helping me to think deeper and my perspective from interface design to system-oriented and future-oriented thinking. It helped me understand that good user experience in emerging technologies depends not only on usability, but on how well designers understand and shape the systems behind it.
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Sources:
Slides from Mrs. Egger