The UX Challenge is a two-day marathon involving students, researchers and professionals of interaction design and aims to improve the user experience (UX) of applications and software developed by companies.
The UX Challenge is promoted and organized by HIT - the Trentino Innovation Hub - in collaboration with the University of Trento, Fondazione Bruno Kessler, Trentino Sviluppo, the Pavonian Artigianelli Institute for the Graphic Arts, Confindustria Trento, Architecta and the Dolomiti UX Book Club. The initiative enables selected companies in Trentino to benefit from a Design Sprint, a method developed by Google Ventures that involves solving product design problems through the use of design thinking techniques. The Sprint can work on app concepts and prototypes, as well as products already established on the market.
The first edition of the UX Challenge was held in December 2017 and involved six companies and digital products: GPI, with a mobile app to access public health services; Phoenix Informatica and Dimension, with a home banking mobile app; Archimede, with Supermercati Poli’s MyDuplicard mobile app; OC-Lab, with a remote assistance system for technical installers; U-Hopper, with a concept for a chatbot for accessing public administration services; and EyesOn, with a smart vision system supporting tennis players.
Thirty-six students (including PhD students) from various departments of the University of Trento and the Artigianelli Institute took part in the 2017 UX Challenge, organized in teams mentored by researchers and digital design professionals. In addition, about sixty citizens were selected through HIT's Smartcrowds.net platform to play the role of testers in the product and prototype tests. The solutions that the teams develop can then be implemented by the companies.
Companies and others interested in taking part in the 2018 edition of the UX Challenge, to be held on October 4 and 5, can find all the necessary information on the HIT website. In addition to the UX Challenge, HIT and partners (including the ProM Facility in Rovereto) are organizing the PROTO Challenge, which will allow manufacturing companies to benefit from advanced software for mechanical topology optimization and redesign of products under an additive manufacturing logic. The PROTO Challenge will take place in October and November 2018.
Challenges are innovative initiatives aimed at supporting Open Innovation in SMEs. HIT is coordinating the study and design of these methodologies as part of European Commission projects funded under the H2020 programme. Further information on HIT’s Challenges can be found on www.trentinoinnovation.eu/innovation-challenge.