Looking back at the World Usability Day 2021

On 11 November 2021, our UXD-Team organised the fifth edition of the Leipzig World Usability Day. While last year's event had to be held remotely due to corona, this time it was possible to invite people to the Kunstkraftwerk in Leipzig's west under the elaboration of a strict hygiene concept. Numerous people with an affinity for IT and technology found their way to the post-industrial premises with their very special charm on this cloudy November morning. The Kunstkraftwerk provided a more than adequate stage for the highly exciting presentations of our speakers on that Thursday. The focus of the event was this year's WUD motto: "Design of our Online World: Trust, Ethics and Integrity".

Dominique Winter kicked things off with his keynote "How we can measure, promote and target trust". Science paired with a pinch of humour quickly earned him the attention of the audience. Afterwards, Jan Korsanke illuminated the dark side of data tracking in the field of urban mobility in his no less exciting presentation. Pia Blumauer spoke about the necessity of inclusive research - an informative and important contribution. This was followed by Ariane Jäger and Martina Armbrecht, who addressed the question of manipulative user guidance in their lecture "Dark Patterns: Unsafe by Design". During the lunch break, the participants were able to exchange views on exciting topics around UX and the world while enjoying delicacies from our caterer Rasselbock.
The afternoon was introduced by a spectacular light show by the Kunstkraftwerk. While the walls of the Kesselhalle were still lit up by projections, the visitors found themselves back in their seats for Eva Hornecker's lecture. Eva explored the possibilities of integrating digital interactivity into traditional children's toys. Birgit Horn and Katharina Urbantat focused on textual elements as an integral part of digital experiences in their talk. Richard Bretschneider concluded with a gripping talk on UX in public transport apps.
Parallel to the lectures, there was also the opportunity to attend two highly interesting workshops. In the morning, Jessica Müller planned a workshop for the virtual space with the participants. Taimur Khan guided the afternoon participants through the possibilities and tangles of AI-based ethical eye tracking. The event came to a cosy end with an open talk with cake and drinks. We would like to thank all participants, speakers and sponsors. With your help, the first WUD in Leipzig to be held under Corona regulations was a complete success.

For all those who missed the WUD or simply want to watch the presentations again, we will be putting the video recordings on our website in the next few days.