Up to this point, my research has focused on how interruptions disrupt attention and flow. However, interruptions do not end when the disruption occurs. What follows (the process of resuming a task) is often where the real cost appears. This brings memory into focus, not as a cognitive abstraction, but as a practical interaction design concern.

When a user is interrupted, they do not simply return to where they left off. They must remember what they were doing, why they were doing it and what the next step was supposed to be. This resumption process relies on short-term memory, contextual cues and sometimes an external support from the interface. If these elements are weak or missing, recovery becomes slow, error-prone and frustrating.

Research on memory for goals shows that interrupted tasks remain mentally active, but their activation decays over time. The longer and more demanding the interruption, the harder it becomes to recall the original goal state. From an interaction design perspective, this can mean that poor recovery is not a user failure but a predictable outcome of how memory works under interruption.

This is where I think interface design plays a critical role. Interfaces can either support memory during recovery or actively work against it. Continuous feeds, disappearing context and forced state changes increase the cognitive effort required to resume the task. In contrast, stable visual cues, persistent task states and meaningful markers can act as external memory aids, reducing the mental burden placed on the user.

Several studies on interruption recovery that I have examined show that even small cues; such as highlighting the last action, preserving task structure or offering lightweight reminders, can significantly improve resumption performance. These cues do not need to explain everything. Their value lies in reactivating the user’s memory by reconnecting them with the task context they previously constructed.

From a UX perspective, this reframes memory as an interaction problem rather than an internal process. Memory is distributed across the user and the interface. When interfaces erase context, reorder information or prioritize immediacy over continuity, they shift the entire recovery burden onto the user. This is especially visible in environments shaped by constant notifications, multitasking, and fragmented attention.

Design research on memory supplementation further supports this view. Instead of assuming users will remember, these approaches treat the interface as a partner in recall. By externalizing task state, progress and reasoning traces, systems can support problem solving and reduce the cost of interruption. This does not mean eliminating interruptions but designing for their aftermath.

There is also a temporal part to memory and recovery. Fast systems are often optimized for immediate response, not for long-term comprehension. However, memory formation and recall require time, repetition and moments of reflection. Interfaces that constantly refresh, replace, or overwrite information sometimes undermine these processes. In this sense, recovery is not only about returning to a task but about preserving meaning over time.

Seen through this lens, memory and recovery become central to interaction design in interrupted environments. The question shifts from “How do we prevent interruptions?” to “How do we help users return?” Designing for recovery means acknowledging that interruption is inevitable but disorientation does not have to be.

My research positions memory not as a background cognitive function, but as a design material. If interaction design shapes how users remember, forget and resume, then recovery is not a side effect, it is a responsibility. This perspective directly informs the next stage of my research, which moves toward designing explicitly for interrupted experiences.

References

Altmann, E. M., & Trafton, J. G. (2002). Memory for goals: An activation-based model. Cognitive Science, 26(1), 39–83.

Bruya, B., & Tang, Y. Y. (2018). Is attention really effort? Revisiting Daniel Kahneman’s influential 1973 book Attention and Effort. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1133.

Chen, X., Li, Z., & Wang, Y. (2025). The effects of cues on task interruption recovery in a concurrent multitasking environment. International Journal of Human–Computer Studies.

Yang, S. (2019). UX design for memory supplementation to support problem-solving tasks in analytic applications (Master’s thesis).

Zannoni, M., & Pollini, A. (2022). Are memories an interaction design problem? PAD Pages on Arts and Design, 15(23).

AI Assistance Disclaimer:
AI tools were used at certain stages of the research process, primarily for source exploration, grammar refinement and structural editing. All conceptual development, analysis and final writing were made by the author.

User Interfaces in Video Games – The quest for genre-appropriate and usable game UI

Over the last nine blog posts, I’ve went from the oscilloscope screens of 1958 to visual representations of game UI to the modular, accessible hardware of today. Now I’d like to wrap up my journey with a short reflection.

Final Thoughts

This research diary started with a fairly open topic that I had no idea how to navigate. After my research, I can safely say that I’ve learned a lot about games, their interfaces and the interaction design behind it.

I learned that game UI has a history worth respecting. Going back to the oscilloscope screens of the 50s and the early arcade days of Space Invaders was interesting because I realised that the simple high score was an innovation at the time and was the start of the complex feedback loops we have now.

I learned how to categorise the visual representations of game UI. Breaking down the four types of UI completely changed how I look at game screens. I now see how a UI can either be overlayed on top of a game or be woven directly into the world, with the player character being aware of it.

I learned that style can actually drive usability. Exploring the Aesthetic-Usability Effect showed me that when a game aesthetic, it isn’t just for show. I learned that if a menu feels like it belongs in the game’s world, players are more likely to find it intuitive and engaging, which holds water with my personal gaming journey.

I learned that accessibility is a fundamental responsibility. From my struggle with tiny subtitles to the impact of the QuadStick, I learned that game UI design isn’t just an aesthetic choice but also about inclusion. This coincides with the fact that I’d like games to be enjoyed as many people since they made my life much better.

In the end, through all these learnings and this, to be honest, hard journey I realised that designing a game user interface is a way, way, way, way more complicated and diverse topic than I anticipated. When I picked this topic I was mostly just focusing on the simple thought of “cool, stylish UI that also respects users” and kept a narrow focus on the visual part, the user interface design of it all.

However, through this research diary and through a conversation with the Senior UX/UI Designer at Bongfish, I’ve realised that game user interface designers are responsible for way more than the graphical menus and HUDs. The 60 accessibility options of The Last of Us Part II kind of blew me away with the use haptics, audio cues and difficulty settings.

If I continued with this (now daunting) topic, I’d have to consider narrowing down the research to specific devices (PC, console, mobile or VR/AR etc.). Placing emphasis on just the visuals doesn’t really work for this topic, as evidenced by this extensive journey of many sub-topics, so finding a focus area could be hard. Either way, I’d say it was a valuable journey and I’ve collected some actual knowledge on my newfound love: games.

User Interfaces in Video Games – The quest for genre-appropriate and usable game UI

To continue with the accessibility topic of my last blog post, in this one I would like to dive deeper into how this complex interaction of playing video games is for people with disabilities.

Accessibility Pt. 2 – Physical Control

Beyond the screen and graphical user interface, we have to consider the physical interface players control the game with. While reading the Saunders and Novak book Game Development Essentials: Game Interface Design, I was really moved by the story of Robert Florio, a quadriplegic artist. He uses a “mouth stick” to play games like Devil May Cry 3, a fast paced action game with complex combos [1]. It made me realise that an accessible interface isn’t just about ease of use, but it’s also about giving someone control over a world they can’t physically interact with anymore. When a designer adds the option of remappable buttons, they aren’t just making a “setting”, they’re opening doors for people who wouldn’t be able to interact with the product at all otherwise.

The “mouth stick” in question was an early model of the QuadStick, pictured on Figure 1. This is a mouth-operated controller produced by an independent manufacturer. It acts as an “add-on” to existing consoles or PCs, using sip-and-puff sensors to translate breath and lip movements into complex game inputs [2].

A major sign that the industry is finally taking this seriously is that console manufacturers are now building these solutions themselves. The PlayStation Access Controller is a modular kit designed specifically to be accessible out of the box. It moves away from the “fixed” shape of a standard controller, allowing players to create a layout that works for their specific hand strength or range of motion. This further emphasises the importance of customisable and remappable inputs in games.

This is where one really sees how interacting with games goes beyond the user interface. It’s also about the user experience and overall interaction design. I already mentioned The Last of Us Part II in my last blog post, focusing on the vast variety of subtitle adjustment options. This is just one out of over 60 different accessibility options [5].

Their design philosophy follows a “sensory redundancy” model. This means that if a player can’t see the path, Navigation Assistance uses haptic pings and 3D audio cues to guide them. If a player can’t hear an enemy, Awareness Indicators and Combat Vibration Cues translate sound into visual and tactile data. This really showed me how expansive this theme can get once we look at the broader spectrum of the interaction between the game and the player.

References

• [1] K. Saunders and J. Novak, Game Development Essentials: Game Interface Design. Clifton Park, NY, USA: Thomson Delmar Learning, 2007.
• [2] Quadstick, “Introduction,” Quadstick User Manual. Accessed: Feb. 07, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://quadstick.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/user_manual/um/introduction.htm
• [3] A. Squire, “Quadstick game controller review,” QuadLifeBlog. Accessed: Feb. 07, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://quadlifeblog.com/quadstick-game-controller-review/
• [4] Sony Interactive Entertainment, “Access Controller for PlayStation 5 Launches Globally to Empower Gamers with Disabilities,” Sony Interactive. Accessed: Feb. 07, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://sonyinteractive.com/en/press-releases/2023/access-controller-launch/
• [5] Sony Interactive Entertainment, “The Last of Us Part II – Accessibility,” PlayStation. [Online]. Available: https://www.playstation.com/en-us/games/the-last-of-us-part-ii/accessibility/

User Interfaces in Video Games – The quest for genre-appropriate and usable game UI

The question proposed in my last blog post is a big can of worms that has many aspects influencing it. One big aspect of interfaces being usable is accessibility, which I took a look at in this blog post.

Accessibility

In my research, I’ve found that many people treat accessibility as a “bonus feature,” but as Saunders and Novak point out in Game Development Essentials: Game Interface Design, it’s a fundamental responsibility. Since there are no strict government regulations for games, it’s up to developers to self-regulate to meet the needs of those with disabilities [1].

In my introductory blog post, I mentioned the frustration of games having subtitles but them being too small to read, often with bad contrast. Subtitles are a perfect example of where game UI often has issues. In many modern AAA games, the text is optimised for someone sitting in front of a high-resolution monitor. But for a console player sitting on a couch 3 meters from a TV, that text becomes unreadable.

I noticed this in many games but want to point out Black Myth: Wukong as an example, pictured on Figure 1. The text is so tiny that even at my monitor I could barely read it, especially on white backgrounds where it lacked contrast in addition to it’s small size. It really dampened my experience because I played the game with the Chinese dub, but this would be an even worse experience for someone who’s, for example, deaf.

To combat this, the choice of typeface is important. Sans Serif fonts (like Arial or Verdana) are preferred for difficult viewing conditions because they don’t have the tiny “cross strokes” (serifs) that can blur together at low resolutions [1]. Simply testing the legibility on different devices and positions during development would already make a huge difference.

A best practice example for dealing with subtitles can be seen in The Last of Us Part II. They provide incredibly adjustable subtitle options where players themselves can massively increase the text size, change the color of the names to identify speakers, and add a dark semi-transparent backing box behind the text. This means that no matter how bright the game world is, the text is still legible.

Another aspect to consider is colour-blindness. Around 8% of men (1 in 12) and 0.5% of women (1 in 12) are affected [4]. Considering this data, its vital to never use color as the only way to give information. A health bar shouldn’t just change from green to red; it should also change in length so a color-blind player can still read the state of the game [1]. Likewise, if a game uses only red and green to signal “enemy” versus “friend”, a significant portion of the audience is excluded.

References

• [1] K. Saunders and J. Novak, Game Development Essentials: Game Interface Design. Clifton Park, NY, USA: Thomson Delmar Learning, 2007.
• [2] Game UI Database, “Black Myth: Wukong,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 07, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=1978
• [3] Game UI Database, “The Last of Us Part II,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 07, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=664
• [4] National Eye Institute, “Color Blindness,” National Institutes of Health (NIH). Accessed: Feb. 07, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.nei.nih.gov/eye-health-information/eye-conditions-and-diseases/color-blindness

User Interfaces in Video Games – The quest for genre-appropriate and usable game UI

So far I’ve introduced some history, UI elements, their visual representations and common game genres. Now I’d like to take a look at the “Should games sacrifice functionality for style and vice versa? Do accessibility options affect the art being made?” question that popped up in my introductory blog post.

Aesthetic vs Function

One of the most difficult parts of game UI design is the “battle” between aesthetics and functionality. In my gaming journey so far, I’ve seen both sides of the coin: games that are beautiful but hard to navigate, and games that are perfectly functional but look like sterile, uninspired and out of place.

“Form follows function” is a famous phrase coined by Louis Sullivan which has been applied to many different types of design that deals with this topic [1]. This means that the way something looks is influenced by what it’s supposed to do. The function of game UI is to communicate states, so it should adapt itself to what users actually need to function within the game. The common questions are “Where am I?”, “How much health do I have?” and “Am I winning?”. These are answered with mini-maps, health bars and scores, all of which have evolved through necessity to communicate status.

So can style actually improve function? Why do I enjoy stylish UI in games if minimalist UI also does the job? Thinking about this led me to the Aesthetic-Usability Effect, which is defined in the book Universal Principles of Design. The Aesthetic-Usability Effect is described as “a phenomenon in which people perceive more aesthetic designs as easier to use than less-aesthetic designs – whether they are or not.” [2] This means that if a player loves the look of a menu, they’re more inclined to keep using it, and thus learn how to use it.

A personal example I’d like to showcase is the difference between the Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker (2011) and Metal Gear Solid V (2015) staff management menus. In Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker I learned to navigate the menu thanks to the more simplified information and “military file” aesthetic which fit the game world, being set in the 70s.

Metal Gear Solid V, which was released 4 years later, features a virtually identical menu, but goes for an angled look which is supposed to be a hologram from the device the character is holding in his hand. This takes away real estate for the sake of diegetic immersion. This, however, clutters the UI with more information displayed. I would have been overwhelmed with this menu had I not already “trained” myself with the previous game. I knew which information to ignore and what the actual function of the menu is. The aesthetic is also lost within this blue, minimalist, hologram look which clashes with the fact the game is set in the 80s.

This leads me to believe that style shouldn’t be sacrificed for function or vice versa.

A visual style is first determined for the game experience overall. Then, the information is made to come across in the most immediate and understandable way. Finally, both form a framework for the user interface aesthetics. The visuals shouldn’t drive the function, but they can certainly bend and influence it. – Stieg Hedlund [5]

In my next blog post, I want to dive deeper into the usability aspect of this debate by exploring the topic of Accessibility.

References

• [1] L. H. Sullivan, The Tall Office Building Artistically Considered. Philadelphia, PA, USA: J. B. Lippincott, 1896.
• [2] W. Lidwell, K. Holden, and J. Butler, Universal Principles of Design: A Cross-Disciplinary Reference. Gloucester, MA, USA: Rockport Publishers, 2003.
• [3] Game UI Database, “Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker HD,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=530
• [4] Game UI Database, “Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=98
• [5] K. Saunders and J. Novak, Game Development Essentials: Game Interface Design. Clifton Park, NY, USA: Thomson Delmar Learning, 2007.

User Interfaces in Video Games – The quest for genre-appropriate and usable game UI

In my last post I introduced the concept of diegetic, non-diegetic, spatial and meta interfaces. You may have noticed that some of them were mostly tied to specific genres, and since my thesis would like to explore how interfaces can be genre-appropriate, I thought it would be appropriate to introduce these genres.

Game Genres

The following graph [1] shows the most played game genres in the 2nd quarter of 2025. There’s a wide range of genres from shooters to puzzles and what I find interesting is that the most successful genres would have the most people, which means that the UI probably also caters to the masses.

Now let’s take a look at some of the most important genres as well as a few visual examples of them to get a good idea of the UI elements and styles.

Action Adventure – Action games encompass an incredibly large arsenal of sub-genres, such as action-adventures, platformers, stealth games etc. and rely on good hand-eye coordination [2]. The UI here can range depending on the sub-genre and focus of the game but do often include health bars, currency and ammo indicators.

Puzzle – Another genre that relies on hand-eye coordination, albeit very different in style. Puzzle games rely on simple logic and have thus seen a big audience within the casual mobile games scene. Brighter colours help with differentiation for quick mental grouping of objects.

Racing – Racing games rely on mini-maps to mirror navigational devices inside the car. Another important UI element within the HUD is the speed, position and lap indicators. Racing games increasingly use minimal and generic design, especially in other screens such as customisation screens.

RPG (Role-Playing Game) – Role-playing games came from table-top games, where statuses, inventories and treasure finding are important. They’ve come a long way from the classical parchment style of fantasy games to more daring and modern UI with JRPGs. Inventories and managing them play a big role, which is why designing them in an intuitive way can make or break the immersion.

Shooter – Shooters have been the most popular genre in the past year, so they have to appeal to the largest player base with their UI as well. The elements that are indicative of shooters are crosshairs (the aim indicator in the middle of the screen to help with accuracy) and the ammo and health gauge. A newer development is the shop screens as games shifted to in-game purchases.

Simulation – Simulation games let players experience real-world situations. They have a massive range, but the two examples I picked are Microsoft Flight Simulator and The Sims 4. Flight Simulator relies on UI similar to racing games, but on another level. It has way more indicators and even more complex UI to mirror actual planes. Sims 4 has a contrasting bubbly style and famously uses spatial UI to help with customising the environment.

Strategy – Games that require thinking and planning, such as Sid Meir’s Civilization and the Age of Empires series [2]. These games show a very good example of the importance of spatial UI. Dealing with the “god” perspective makes individual pieces of land important to discern using markings and icons. Another UI element I’ve noticed is graphs and charts to show post battle results.

When it comes to the style one can notice that the older game [Figure 12] uses a historical, parchment-like style, while the more modern game [Figure 11] uses a more generic and cleaner style.

References

• [1] Share of video gamers worldwide who have played games in select gaming genres in the past 12 months as of 2nd quarter 2025 [Graph], We Are Social, & DataReportal, & Meltwater, Oct. 15, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/240990/global-online-games-genre-breakdown/
• [2] S. Rogers, “Game Genres”, in Level Up! The Guide to Great Video Game Design, Chichester, United Kingdom: Wiley, 2010, ch. 1, pp. 9-11.
• [3] Game UI Database, “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=35
• [4] Game UI Database, “Grand Theft Auto V,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=115
• [5] Game UI Database, “Candy Crush Saga,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=147&autoload=2374
• [6] Game UI Database, “Tetris Ultimate,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=1713
• [7] Game UI Database, “Forza Horizon 5,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=1225
• [8] Game UI Database, “Need for Speed Heat,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=220
• [9] Game UI Database, “Baldur’s Gate II,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=1748
• [10] Game UI Database, “Persona 5,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Feb. 06, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=72#&gid=1&pid=24
• [11] Game UI Database, “Call of Duty: WWII,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Jan. 13, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=255
• [12] Game UI Database, “Fortnite (2020),” Game UI Database. Accessed: Jan. 13, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=836
• [13] New Game Network, “Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024 screenshots,” New Game Network. Accessed: Jan. 13, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.newgamenetwork.com/media/33508/xboxsx/microsoft-flight-simulator-2024-screenshots/
• [14] Game UI Database, “The Sims 4 (PC Edition),” Game UI Database. Accessed: Jan. 13, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=528
• [15] Game UI Database, “Civilization V,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Jan. 13, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=622
• [16] Game UI Database, “Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition,” Game UI Database. Accessed: Jan. 13, 2026. [Online.] Available: https://www.gameuidatabase.com/gameData.php?id=722

You may ask yourself why I have been mentioning migraine tracking apps since the first blog post. The reason is that as already explained the triggers for migraine attacks are individual and differ in most patients. And since m

Common Triggers

Although triggers are different for everyone who lives with migraine, common triggers include:

• Environmental: weather changes, heat, smoking, strong smells, loud sounds, and bright or flashing lights
• Hormonal: fluctuations in hormones, which can occur around menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause
• Lifestyle: stress or the letdown of stress, too much or too little sleep, poor sleep quality, changes in sleep schedule, neck pain, overexertion, sexual activity
• Dietary: skipped meals, dehydration, alcohol, and certain foods

For a state of the art research I will analyze and compare two different migraine apps. In this blog post the first Apps will be analyzed and the second one in the next two to provide a clear overview and comparison.

Migräne App by the pain clinic Kiel

This app was recommended to me by my neurologist since it provides lots of features. It was developed by the pain clinic Kiel which focus on diagnosis, treatment, and research of neurological pain disorders, migraine, and other headaches in order to further improve future treatment. The first feature is the calendar to track migraine attacks and consulation hours with neurologists.

To quickly create an entry of an attack there is a button to open a new screen where the intensity, the type and date, medication data etc. can be filled out.

Simulation feature

One feature that caught my attention when I first used it is the simulation feauture the app provides. There are three different ones. The first one uses the phone’s camera to simulate a gradually increasing aura with flashing zig zag figures and pink blind spots that stays at the same spot even when the camera moves.

This feature seems suitable to show a person that has never had a migraine attack before how it looks like when you’re sight suddenly gets blocked by flashing lights and blind spots. However, I personally have to say that my aura doesn’t look as subtle or pinkish but hurts way more when you look at it since the speed of the flashing is so fast that it feels unbearable and uncomfortable. And my aura usually blocks more of my eyesight, mostly the center of where I am trying to look at. But the idea behind this simulation using your camera to put you into the shoes of a migraineur could be a great method to increase emapthy and understanding.

The other two options are video demos that demonstrate the sudden start of an aura while driving a car and while sitting in front of a river. They are great options if you just want to demonstrate two different visualizations in different settings. This idea again seems really convincing since migraine attacks for most migraineurs start suddenly without warning signs so they really could occur in every possible situation such as driving or in the park.

Benefits

• fast test feature to identify if your headache is considered migraine by answering questions
• Risk of chronicity test to identify how high the risk of having a migraine attack by answering questions related to nutrition, free time and work

The following feature also seems very useful. Users can quickly create a generated document with an overview of a month within the App to export the data. This action can be found on the Calendar screen and could be very helpful when visiting a neurologist if you have entered your data consistenly in the App!

Progressive muscle relaxation feature

A guided progressive muscle relaxation session where the user clicks on play and the audio starts to give instructions on how to breathe and relax your muscles. A very simple feature within the application which I have tried out. But I would prefer to be able to change some settings e.g. the voice or speed of the speaker. After trying this feature a third time I got pretty bored since it was very monotone.

Cons

The overall design is very similar to an old Windows version and looks sort of outdated. I don’t know how others perceive this app but it the look of it distracted me from the actual meaningful features.

Many information features (“Schmerzklinik Kiel aktuell” media library, “Kopfschmerzwissen”, “Kopfschmerz-Klassifikation, Headbook community, live chat, …) are external links to websites or YouTube which breaks the user flow by pulling users out of the application without prior warning. The links aren’t clearly labeled as links you just see a new tab open after clicking on them.

The entry options for the rating of the impact of migraine also was a bit unexpected. I would prefer to rate the impact with numbers from 1-10 or with adjectives and not with “less than a half”, “half and more”, etc.

Conclusion

All in all the features of this app developed by the pain clinic are mostly very meaningful and the benefit for each included feature is clear. The app is intended solely for information, documentation, and personal organization purposes. It helps you keep track of your own entries in a structured way and maintain an overview of your individual progress.

However the design may feel a bit off and not up-to-date to people who use other apps and care about the visual parts as well.

Design & Research | Master Thesis Log 10

In research, there is rarely a clean “The End.” There are just checkpoints.

So, this is my checkpoint.

When I started this journey, I was looking for data. I wanted to know how many people use Auto Mode vs. Manual Mode. I wanted to know technical details about sensors and algorithms. But over the last few weeks—through the interviews, the failed experiments, and the late-night confusion—I found something much more important.

I found the emotional core of the problem.

The Thief of Joy My biggest realization so far is not about technology; it’s about psychology.

I have come to believe that AI is a thief. It doesn’t steal our jobs (at least, not yet). It steals something more subtle. It steals the joy of the mistake.

In my experiments, I realized that when the camera makes everything perfect, it robs us of the curiosity in the process. It takes away that “happy accident”—the blurry, imperfect, messy shot that somehow captures the feeling better than a sharp image ever could. When we remove the struggle, we remove the satisfaction.

Where I Am Going Next So, where does that leave me?

I am not done. I still have more research to do. I need to dig deeper into how we can bring that struggle back without making photography impossible. I need to talk to more designers and photographers and maybe even build some prototypes.

But I do have a compass now.

My direction for the next phase of my research is the concept of the “Co-Pilot.” I don’t have the solution built yet. I don’t know exactly what it looks like. But I know that the future shouldn’t be about the machine taking over. It should be about a partnership where the human stays in charge of the art, and the machine just helps us get there.

The blog series for this session ends here, but the work is just getting started.

Thank you for reading my messy, imperfect thoughts. Now, I’m going back to the research.