Evaluating GenAI in User Experience Design – Comparing Human, GenAI, and Human + GenAI Design Approaches

Florentine II

While Generative AI (GenAI) tools can potentially support UX designers, their usability and user experience have not been thoroughly evaluated. This study compared the performance of AI-generated UX designs to designs created by human designers, with and without AI enhancement in an unmoderated remote usability test. One design was AI-only, one was AI-generated and then refined by a designer, and one was created only by a human designer. Participants were asked to complete 4 tasks in each design in sequence. We found that AI-only designs underperformed compared to non-AI designs. The Designer Enhanced condition consistently outperformed the AI-only condition across most metrics and scored close to the Designer-only condition. These results suggest that human intervention can effectively address some of the shortcomings of AI-only designs. While GenAI may offer some time savings in UX design, human oversight and refinement remain essential for optimal usability and user experience.

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