Do we design User Experiences?

In dieser Podcast Folge spricht Dr. Thomas Grill über die Schnittstelle zwischen Produkt und Benutzer.

Die "User Experience" gab und gibt es schon immer seit Benutzer Produkte verwenden.

Welche Rolle spielen die unterschiedlichen Design Disziplinen?

Industrial Design- Service Design - User Experience Design - Produkt Design - etc.

... warum will jeder User Experience designen?

Kann man designen ohne die Grundlagen zu erforschen und den Benutzer zu kennen?

TLDR;

Stop Thinking in Silos

Why UX and Industrial Design Are No Longer Separate Disciplines

We're witnessing a fundamental shift in how we design products. The traditional boundaries between UX design and industrial design are dissolving—and this convergence is reshaping everything we create.

From Interfaces to Experiences

For decades, these disciplines operated in separate silos. Industrial designers focused on physical forms, materials, and ergonomics. UX designers concentrated on digital interactions, wireframes, and user flows. But today's products demand more.

Think about your smartphone, your car's keyless entry system, or your smart home. These aren't just physical objects with screens attached—they're seamless experiences that blend the physical and digital worlds.

The Evolution We're Living Through

The journey from command-line interfaces to graphical UIs, and now to "Zero UI" concepts, mirrors a broader trend in product design. We're moving toward ambient computing—technology that works in the background without visible interfaces, responding to context, presence, and natural interactions.

This isn't new territory for industrial designers. Before the digital age, designers were already creating interactive products that fit perfectly into our daily environments. The difference now? Digital interfaces have expanded the possibilities exponentially.

Why This Matters for Your Business

Here's the critical insight: UX ≠ UI

Designing a user interface is just one component of the overall user experience. You can have a beautifully designed interface and still deliver a poor experience if you ignore:

• The complete user journey from start to finish

• Emotional responses and satisfaction

• Usage context and environmental factors

• The integration of physical and digital touchpoints

The truth? A well-designed experience might have minimal—or even no—visible interface at all.

Three Pillars of Exceptional Product Design

1. The Interface – Whether physical buttons or digital screens, it must be intuitive and purposeful

2. The Context – Understanding where and how your product will be used is fundamental. Generic products that try to serve everyone end up serving no one memorably

3. The User – Without knowing who your users are and what they need, you're designing in the dark

As I often remind our clients: UX - U = X (Don't do it!)

The Path Forward

There is NO industrial designer who doesn't create experiences.

There is NO UX designer who isn't responsible for functional and aesthetic products.

The bond between different design disciplines is tightening. As voice interfaces, gesture control, and ambient sensing become ubiquitous, we need designers who think holistically—integrating insights from multiple perspectives toward one common goal:

Creating intuitive, useful, and beautiful products that deliver real value to users.

The Challenge

Whether you're a product manager, designer, or business leader: Stop thinking in silos. The best products emerge from collaboration between disciplines, not competition between them.

Human-centered design isn't just a methodology—it's the convergence point where industrial design meets UX, where physical meets digital, and where good products become exceptional experiences.