Jakob Nielsen's 10 Challenges for UX in the Next 25 Years

I went to a keynote speech by the user experience guru Jakob Nielsen while taking UX design courses at the Nielsen Norman Group NYC 2017 Conference. Nielsen talked about 10 challenges that the UX field will likely face in the next 25 years. I'm sharing what I learned with you because the world needs better UX design. The more we talk and share ideas, the closer we'll get to a world that truly benefits end users.

Jakob set the stage by explaining the focus of the first global urban planning conference that took place in New York City in 1898. The hot topic that year? What to do with all the horse manure clogging the streets. If you've ever walked by Central Park South, you know what a nuisance this can be. But, with widespread adoption of the automobile in the following century, the manure challenge was eliminated quickly.

The story cautions us not to worry about transitory problems. Nielsen feels that the 10 challenges he worked to identify will impact the UX field for at least a quarter of a century, and maybe longer.

But (drumroll please) Here's Nielsen's fist list of Challenges.

In the next 5 years Nielsen thinks the UX field will be challenged by: 

1. Artificial Intelligence, or AI. Nielsen said it's important to develop AI with the needs of end users in mind. The technology for good AI has been established, but the UX of AI needs to be improved greatly. Nielsen advises focusing on the user when developing AI solutions, not the technology alone.
2. Interfaces that exist outside the realm of traditional computers. With the mass marketing of home assistants such as Alexa, non-screen UI and multiple device UX need to be more fully considered. A seamless experience should link UX across traditional devices and new screenless interfaces. A computer can now be a room, a square on your wrist, or a network of devices working together. We should design user experiences for situations like these, not just one type of screen.
3. Big Screens. Plenty of work has been done to perfect the UX that takes place on small and moderately-sized screens (think of your phone). There are few examples of interfaces and user experiences designed to take place on the big screen. Big screen adoption could boost knowledge worker productivity, as the folks at Bloomberg know, and should not be overlooked as a UX solution.
4. Tech that doesn't work. Nielsen pointed out that too much technology simply doesn't work. Nielsen gave the example of Microsoft Word, a program has been around since 1983 and is still riddled with bugs that cause it to crash. These kinds of common errors are more consequential than one might think; Nielsen referenced studies showing that most users can not figure out how to solve computer errors. Then Nielsen comically suggested a moratorium of new features in existing software packages for the next two years, which would give companies time to fix persistent bugs.
5. UX Methodology. It comes as no surprise that Nielsen called for more user testing, wider UX adoption and acceptance of UX in different fields. Yes, that would be great for the Nielsen Norman Group, but it would also be pretty wonderful for the average end user.

In the next 25 years Nielsen thinks the UX field will be challenged by:

1. A need to increase productivity, particularly for knowledge workers. According to Jakob, Knowledge worker productivity growth has been stagnant. This is a problem because the knowledge worker field is becoming more important for economic growth.
2. Simplifying interactions. According to Nielsen, around 95% of people can not perform complex actions on a computer . This includes processes that require switching programs or combining information from different sources. In order to broaden the social impact of technology, it's the job of the UX designer to create experiences that most users will be able to use efficiently and productively.
3. Older users. According to Nielsen, older users represent a growing segment of the population but are often overlooked or not fully considered in the design process. Designers need to create interfaces that older users can access. Apparently, this has been on Nielsen's list for a while; here's an article from 2013 where he explains this point in detail.
4. Security. Nielsen related the need for designers and security technicians to work together to make more secure interfaces. Nielsen implied that UX designers are asked to make data easy to access and security technicians are tasked with making data difficult to access. Only by considering both needs in full can a viable security solution be reached.
5. UX Methodology. Nope, this is not a glitch. Nielsen noted this need twice, simply to underscore it. For more information, reference number 5 above.

Bonus challenge: After listing the 10 challenges above, Nielsen asked UX designers to work to return power to users. Nielsen said that in computing history the shift from data storage in a mainframe to a personal computer put control in the hands of users. If, for instance, a user read that the latest version of a software package did not function well, the user could decide not to buy the CD. This pressured companies to create software that would deliver a quality performance and a good user experience. The current trend towards storing data in the cloud shifts the balance back towards sellers. Cloud computing removes purchasing choice from buyers, along with much of the motivating factors for companies to make their products more user friendly.

Two problems that Nielsen said not to worry about are voice user interface systems and driverless car technology. Nielsen said that much of the groundwork for these new technologies has been thoroughly considered. Nielsen gave the example of a ride hailing app. In the future, it's likely that we will use similar interfaces to call a car. It's just the technical jump of making a car driverless that needs to happen. So while many industries are likely to feel the heat from this trend, UX and UI designers should spend more time focusing on the 11 challenges listed above.

But now on to you. What's missing from the list? Are there any UX challenges you anticipate that aren't listed here? If so, let me know in the comments below!

Credits:

• The challenges listed here and the overall structure of this information was written and delivered by Jakob Nielsen in 2017. All credit goes to Jakob Nielsen and the Nielsen Norman Group. I'm simply relaying the information so that others can benefit and so that the world can be a more user friendly place.
• Hero Image at the top of the article: rawpixel.com via unsplashed
• Horse and trolley Image: Brown Brothers/Public Domain
• I think it's pretty obvious that while I love the Nielsen Norman Group and the work of Jakob Nielsen, this article is not an ad. But you can learn more about the Nielsen Norman group at their website. I highly recommend their articles, courses, and email newsletter based on my personal experiences.