World Usability Day 2024

The eighth WUD Leipzig took place on November 14 at the university’s Paulinum and drew nearly 200 participants. Experts, students, and interested members of the public discussed the importance of user-centered design for a sustainable and inclusive future. Richard Bretschneider opened the thematic session with his keynote address, „All Creatives Will Die Out—GenAI Wins,“ in which he humorously and informatively explored the impact of generative AI on the music business.

Exciting presentations followed throughout the day. Danny Hucke and Tina Marschner from IT Sonix presented their experiment „Replace Me If You Can,“ in which they—as a software developer and a UX designer—competed to develop a web application using AI tools. Dominique Winter from Produktwerker explained how conversational AIs strengthen user engagement through personalization and politeness. Ravi Kanth Kosuru from Fraunhofer IAO demonstrated how neurophysiological interfaces enable technologies for people with varying abilities. Oliver Singler from the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar emphasized the role of human factors in creating fair and safe transportation systems. Margarita Osipova and Urszula Kulon, also from the Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, addressed women’s safety in smart cities and body image on e-commerce platforms. The event concluded with a presentation by Holm Hänsel of Jambit titled „Generative UI,“ which explored the automatic generation of user interfaces using algorithms.