AI as a tool and its influence on the User Experience design process : A study on the usability of human-made vs more-than-human-made prototypes

Abstract: This research paper delves into the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in the process of user experience (UX) design resulting in more-than-human-made designs. Specifically, the study focuses on the utilization of the text-to-image AI tool, Midjourney. The primary research questions addressed in this paper are twofold: 1) How do AI tools influence the current UX design process of a high-fidelity prototype? and 2) How do more-than-human-made high-fidelity prototypes compare with human-made high-fidelity prototypes in terms of UX? To answer these research questions, a two-method study design was employed. Firstly, two focus groups with in total of 8 designers as participants were formed, with one group utilizing Midjourney to investigate its influence on the design process and to compare the two groups regarding their workwise. The aim was to create two comparable prototypes within a specific e-commerce setting. Secondly, a between-subjects design user study with 32 participants was conducted to test the high-fidelity prototypes and to assess any potential disparities in UX quality between them. The findings regarding the first research question indicate that Midjourney primarily serves as an inspirational tool. Designers were able to harness the AI tool to generate dark mode images, with the final chosen dark mode exemplifying the impact of Midjourney. Additionally, designers attempted to utilize the tool for creating icons. Regarding the second research question, the user study revealed that, despite similar and comparable use cases, there were only minor significant differences in terms of UX quality. The overall scores in System Usability Scale (SUS) and User Experience Questionnaire Plus (UEQ+) did not exhibit any significant disparity. This study suggests that while Midjourney proves to be a useful tool within the design process, its current influence on designers' UX design process and the ultimate performance of the final prototype remains relatively modest. Further research and development may be required to enhance its impact in the field of UX design and the study design should be used to test other AI tools in comparable settings.