A wealth of research in the engineering design research community has focused on enhancing the design process and developing methods and theories for improving the user experience. While our community has contributed to the scientific understanding of design, relatively little focus has been placed on the design of the presentations we give to disseminate this information through conferences and professional meetings. This is important because the design decisions we make during these presentations of research ideas and findings directly influence audience comprehension as well as their ability to be disseminated to broader audiences outside our field, ultimately increasing the impact of our work. As a first step in addressing this disparity, we aim to reflect on current presentation slide designs and conventions in our community through the lens of the User Experience (UX) Design perspective. 

We focus on the design process as a framework for constructing an effective narrative with objective criteria to measure the appropriateness of content; to ensure that research is received; that audiences retain conceptual thinking through experiential learning; and that audiences are positioned as collaborators. In addition, we emphasize the importance of content preparation and how the connection between on-screen visuals and the spoken word lead to a specific performative outcome. Integrating principles used by visual communication professionals can be incorporated in the construction of effective research presentations, and we present how the appropriate use of formal principles of space and typography can focus an argument visually and define thematic patterns aimed at clarity and retention. Another important component of effective scientific presentations involves meeting the psychological needs of audiences, guided through the use of gestalt principles to simplify complex information and unify systemic logic. Lastly, we focus on user-centered solutions, considering the perspectives of our audiences, their work practice, and the contextual implications for the effective design of visual and performative elements in design presentations.

This cycle of action and reflection will be captured through the development of a web tool that will act as a comprehensive resource for design researchers who seek to advance effective communication in their practice.


The User Experience of Research Presentations: Leveraging the Design Process as a Framework for Constructing User-Centered Solutions to the Design of Research Presentations

Division / Sponsors: 
Design Engineering Division and Computers & Information In Engineering Division


Paper Proceedings: https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/IDETC-CIE/IDETC-CIE2020/volume/83907

IDETC2020 - Virtual Conference

Supporting the need among researchers worldwide for additional online and multimedia content, ASME now offers the ASME Conference Video Collection. This platform will collect and provide long-term access to conference presentation videos, encompassing all technology areas within ASME's technical conference and events program. About 30,000-40,000 engineers across all mechanical engineering and related disciplines participate in ASME conferences each year. This includes authors of approximately 6,000 to 8,000 technical papers published by ASME, the majority of whom also submit video presentations for our virtual conferences. The video collection will be available as an add-on to existing product packages or as a separate subscription.