Conclusion of a MiniSeries with co-author ChatGPT
Summary
As a UX designer, I share how using ChatGPT taught me how to use ChatGPT. By engaging in conversations with the chatbot, I learned how to ask better questions and refine my search queries, leading to more accurate and relevant results. I also discovered the chatbot's ability to generate creative ideas, which I could then use in my design work. Overall, the I found that using ChatGPT helped them improve their research skills and broaden their knowledge base. Read further to find out how you can do the same.
My experience with ChatGPT
This series was super fun for me to explore my first experience with ChatGPT. It certainly isn’t perfect, and seldom were the references too dated for keeping content relevant or recommendations fresh. This exercise actually helped me discover some new insights and refresh my perspectives on deeply trained practices I needed to readdress with my own day-to-day.
The effort was a little rocky personally. As the lay-offs rolled in, I found myself among them the same week I announced this series. I didn’t have the mentality to commit to writing weekly and took an evening early on to generate 8 of the 12 posts. I thought my eyes would seal themselves closed in protest, warm and dry from hours at the screen. But we pursued and here we are, 29 days later. Finished.
So, I ask you:
How did it go?
Did we like this model?
What’s the overall consensus on the co-author series with GPT?
My opinion was it’s more sophisticated than I planned for, which was both great and alarming. When I thought I was asking clear prompts, the feedback could come back more macro level than I hoped. Occasionally, the context would drop and it would refocus on the question directly, but for the most part it was focused and kept up with my thinking process. Which is more than some people do conversationally, frankly.
I don’t think it will be replacing my spot in the job market anytime soon, but also assume that is coming sooner than I’d like to admit. If I had to put a number on it, I’d say less than 5 years.
I don’t think I’ll learn to rely on it so once it becomes more policed, or gatekeeping paywalls jump in… I’d like to be just as functional without it as I was before. Naivety, I know, but I do know it does increase my productivity… which means reduced man hours overall.
When I asked GPT, it was confident, calculated and undescriptive on a deadline:
It is difficult to predict an exact timeline for when AI may potentially replace the jobs of UX designers and researchers. While AI technology has advanced significantly in recent years, there are still certain aspects of the design process that require human intuition, creativity, and empathy. Moreover, AI is best suited for tasks that involve repetitive, data-driven decision making, rather than the more nuanced and complex work involved in understanding human behavior and emotions. Additionally, the field of UX design is constantly evolving and expanding, which means that new roles and opportunities may emerge in the future that require human expertise and skill. Overall, it is important for UX designers and researchers to stay up-to-date with AI advancements and continue to hone their unique abilities and perspectives in order to thrive in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
(Which in my opinion, is the most polite way to say its coming for you.)What’s next?
Do I take pause?
Do I pivot and touch on the personal experience and how I UX’ed my layoff and rehire happy path for landing the next thing?
I asked ChatGPT what themes it would pursue next. It’s highlighted topic on UX and AI are as follows:
"Designing for AI": This theme could explore best practices and considerations for designing user interfaces that incorporate artificial intelligence, such as chatbots, recommendation engines, and personalization features.
"The Ethics of AI in UX": As AI continues to shape the way we interact with technology, it's important to consider the ethical implications of its use in user experience design. This theme could explore topics like bias in AI, transparency in decision-making, and the responsibility of designers to ensure ethical AI use.
"The Future of UX and AI": What will the future of user experience design look like as AI becomes more ubiquitous? This theme could explore emerging trends, potential disruptions to traditional UX design methods, and the ways in which AI is transforming the industry.
"AI and Accessibility": AI has the potential to greatly improve accessibility for users with disabilities. This theme could explore the ways in which AI is being used to create more inclusive user experiences, as well as the challenges and limitations that remain.
"Human-Centered AI": As AI continues to become more integrated into our lives, it's important to consider how we can maintain a human-centered approach. This theme could explore ways to ensure that AI is designed with the needs and preferences of users in mind, and how we can create AI experiences that feel intuitive, natural, and empowering.
So, naturally, I pushed farther and landed on some exercises for you fellow UX peers to practice:
How UXers should use ChatGPT
Idea generation
UX designers can ask ChatGPT for suggestions on various aspects of UX design, such as layout, color schemes, or user research methods. ChatGPT can generate multiple ideas that can help inspire the designers and provide new insights into their work.
"How can we improve the user experience of our mobile app?"
"What are some innovative ways to design a more user-friendly e-commerce website?"
"How can we incorporate gamification into our user experience design?"
"What are some ways to make our website more accessible for users with disabilities?"
"How can we improve the onboarding process for new users of our platform?"
"What are some creative ways to design user interfaces for virtual reality?"
"How can we use user data to create more personalized experiences?"
"What are some design strategies to encourage user engagement and retention?"
Research
UX designers can use ChatGPT to research new trends and techniques in the industry. ChatGPT can provide a vast amount of information on UX design, including blogs, articles, and research papers, which can help designers stay up-to-date with the latest developments.
Ask specific questions: Start by asking ChatGPT specific questions related to your research topic. The more precise the question, the more relevant and useful the answer will be.
Explore different perspectives: ChatGPT can provide a wide range of responses based on different perspectives, so try asking questions from multiple angles to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the topic.
Use ChatGPT as a brainstorming tool: Sometimes, just chatting with ChatGPT can generate new ideas and insights. Use it as a brainstorming tool to help spark creativity and explore different possibilities.
Verify information: ChatGPT can provide information and facts, but it's important to verify the accuracy of the information before using it in your research. Cross-check ChatGPT's responses with other sources and ensure the information aligns with the research topic.
Refine your search: If the initial response from ChatGPT is not relevant or useful, refine your search query by being more specific with your question or trying different keywords.
Use ChatGPT for literature review: ChatGPT can be a helpful tool for conducting a literature review on a particular topic. Use it to generate relevant keywords, find related studies, and identify new perspectives or approaches.
Collaborate with ChatGPT: Consider ChatGPT as a collaborator in your research. Engage with it regularly and provide feedback on the responses to help refine the search and improve the results.
Testing
UX designers can also use ChatGPT to test their designs and user interfaces. ChatGPT can generate automated scripts that can simulate user interactions and identify areas of improvement in the design.
Can you provide me with some user testing ideas for a mobile app that focuses on productivity and time management?
Can you suggest some usability testing methods for a new e-commerce platform?
How can I test the effectiveness of a new navigation system on a website?
What are some best practices for conducting user research on a new software application?
Can you suggest some A/B testing ideas for a landing page to increase conversion rates?
What are some methods for testing the accessibility of a website or application for users with disabilities?
How can I test the effectiveness of a new chatbot feature on a website or mobile app?
What are some techniques for gathering user feedback on a new design concept or prototype?
Can you suggest some metrics to measure the success of a user testing session?
What are some methods for testing the user experience of a virtual reality or augmented reality application?
Collaboration
ChatGPT can also facilitate collaboration between UX designers by generating summaries of discussions or suggesting ways to resolve conflicts. ChatGPT can be used to facilitate these collaboration prompts by generating ideas, providing research-based recommendations, and helping teams stay on track with their goals and timelines.
Brainstorm new design ideas for a mobile app that will increase user engagement and satisfaction.
Collaborate on a user persona for a new product and identify key user needs and pain points.
Work together to create a user journey map for an existing product and identify areas for improvement.
Conduct a heuristic evaluation of a website or app and collaborate to identify usability issues and recommend improvements.
Collaborate on a usability test plan and develop test scenarios and tasks.
Work together to analyze user feedback and identify trends and insights to inform design decisions.
Collaborate on a design critique of a new feature or product and provide constructive feedback to improve the design.
Brainstorm new ways to improve accessibility and inclusivity in your designs and collaborate to implement these improvements.
Overall, ChatGPT can be a powerful tool for UX designers to increase their productivity, stay up-to-date with the latest trends, and improve the quality of their designs.
In conclusion of the series
As the tech industry continues to rapidly evolve, user experience (UX) designers are faced with new challenges and opportunities. Throughout this blog series, we have explored various topics including the impact of wearable technology, the psychology of color in UI design, and research methods in cognitive psychology. With the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and Chatbots, UX designers now have even more tools to enhance their work. ChatGPT, for example, can be used for idea generation, testing, collaboration, and more. As the integration of technology and UX continues to expand, it is crucial for designers to stay up-to-date and utilize these advancements to improve user experiences.
