User Experience

Design and Evaluation Cards

Experience design through psychological needs

Reference :
Lallemand, C. (2015). Towards consolidated methods for the design and evaluation of User
Experience (Doctoral dissertation). University of Luxembourg.

Download this card-set :

http://uxmind.eu/portfolio/ux-design-and-evaluation-cards/

This card-set is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCom-

mercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. It allows others to use this
card-set non commercially, as long as they credit the author.
 Expe ri enc e design t hroug h
psy c hologic al nee d s

The fulfillment of human psychological needs is thought to be a main trigger

of positive experiences with interactive systems or products. This needs-
driven UX approach is a well-explored area in UX research and appears
to be a powerful framework for the design of more experiential systems.

This card-set is a pragmatic tool able to support needs-driven

UX design and evaluation. It describes seven categories of ex-
periences, such as “competence experiences” or “related-
ness experiences”, that UX practitioners should seek to design.

The UX cards might be used for:

UX Design: the primary objective of the UX cards is to serve

as an inspirational tool to generate design ideas. This might be
done by the design team alone or might involve users in par-
ticipatory design sessions. Two instructions cards support the
ideation process.

UX Evaluation: the UX cards might be used to conduct a UX

evaluation at any stage in the design process. The goal is to
assess how well a system might support the fulfillment of human
needs with regard to triggering a positive experience.

UX Training: the UX cards might be used for training purposes,

to support the development of designers’ sensitivity for psycho-
logical theories. The card-set also constitutes a useful repertoire
of design concepts to be used by future practitioners.
 I deat ion t ec hnique 1
COMBINE

Step 1 - Brainstorm
Alone or as a team, select 1-3 relevant cards and think
freely about as many design ideas as possible related to
each need.
Ask yourself this question: how could we design our sys-
tem / product / service in order to shape an experience of
(UX need, for instance „competence“)?

Step 2 - Combine with UX elements

To develop more ideas and better explore the ideation space, combine
each relevant need card with the following 12 categories of UX elements:

Brand &
Features Visual design Usability
Marketing

Interface Inter-
Content Accessibility
design operability

Technical Service Information Interaction

support experience design design

Examples
How could “visual design” support the fulfillment of the need for “relatedness”?

How could the system‘s “features” support the fulfillment of the need for “relatedness”?
 I deat ion t ec hnique 2
ANAL O G Y

Step 1 - Brainstorm
Alone or as a team, select 1-3 relevant cards and think
freely about as many design ideas as possible related to
each need.
Ask yourself this question: how could we design our sys-
tem / product / service in order to shape an experience of
(UX need, for instance „competence“)?

Step 2 - Generate ideas by analogy

Based on the existing (non exhaustive) bulleted list of examples on each
need card, think about everything in the real-life that impacts positively or
negatively the fulfillment of a need.

Example: the UX Card “Security / Control“ mentions „having a comfortable set of routines and
habits“ as an example of a real-life situation triggering a positive feeling of security.
Can you think of other situations fulfilling this need? While the examples on each card are rather
generic, don‘t hesitate to think about more specific situations (e.g. locking one‘s door at night) or
objects (e.g. a cuddly teddy bear reassuring a child). It is also useful to think about situations that
negatively impact the fulfilment of the need. You don‘t have to think about technology at this stage.
List as many as possible situations or objects triggering a feeling of security or on the contrary a
feeling of insecurity.

Once you have a list of triggering situations or objects, think by analogy

about how to transpose these specific situations or objects characteristics
into your design to trigger the same positive experience (or avoid a nega-
tive experience).

Real-life examples triggering:

SEC - a feeling of security
- a feeling of insecurity transposition into Idea generation
design ideas by analogy
 Loren Kerns
PLEASURE - STIMULATION
Adam Jones
 PLEA SURE
ST IMUL AT ION

Feeling that you get plenty of enjoyment

and pleasure, feeling stimulated

• Performing a leisure or playful activity

• Having fun
• Experiencing new sensations and activi-
ties
• Feeling intense physical pleasure
• Feeling enjoyment for the senses: sensu-
al pleasure, aesthetic pleasure
• Discovering new sources and types of
stimulation

Enjoyment / Fun Leisure

Novelty Amusement
Entertainment Discovery
 S.Hart Photography
RELATEDNESS - BELONGINGNESS
Derek Mindler
 R E LAT ED N ESS
BE LON G IN G N ESS

Having regular close contact with people

who care about you

• Being aware of others’ emotions, activi-

ties or mood
• Expressing feelings or emotions in a
wide variety of ways
• Having a sense of physical intimacy
• Caring about others
• Offering gifts to others
• Carrying out actions together
• Keeping record of past activities and
special moments

Connectedness Closeness
Intimacy Togetherness
Love / Frienship Other-awareness
 Loren Kerns
SECURITY - CONTROL
Rob Watkins / PAF
 SEC U RIT Y
CO N T RO L

Feeling safe and in control of your life

and actions

• Feeling that life and things are structured

and predictable
• Having a comfortable set of routines and
habits
• Being safe from threats and uncertainty
• Being in control of events
• Understanding how things work
• Interacting with transparent and clear
systems

Safety Structure
Self-consistency Predictability
Transparency Routines and habits
 Paolo Ferrarini
COMPETENCE - EFFECTIVENESS
 COM P ET EN C E
E FFE CT IV EN ESS

Feeling very capable and effective in

your actions

• Achieving one’s goals and objectives

• Attaining or exceeding a standard in
one‘s performance
• Mastering hard challenges, solving pro-
blems
• Completing difficult tasks and projects
• Acquiring new skills, abilities or know-
ledge
• Learning how to do things
• Interacting effectively with one’s environ-
ment

Self-efficacy Instinct to master

Achievement Performance
Motivation Learning
 Jenn Durfey
AUTONOMY - INDEPENDENCE
Premsa SantCugat
 AUT ON OMY
IND E PEN D EN C E

Feeling like you are the cause of your

own actions

• Feeling that activities are self-chosen

and self-endorsed
• Having meaningful choices
• Being the cause of one’s actions
• Taking responsibilities
• Personalizing one’s environment
• Not being overly pressed or influenced
to do something

Self-determination Choices
Freedom Responsibilities
Self-reliance Personalization
 Michael Vadon
INFLUENCE - POPULARITY
 INFL U EN C E
P OPU L ARIT Y

Feeling that you are liked, respected,

and have influence over others

• Influencing others’ beliefs and behaviors

• Having an impact on what people do
• Being a person whose advice others
seek out and follow
• Being recognized as a valuable person
• Making friends

Reputation Recognition
Public respect Feeling valuable
Renown Being an influencer
 Philo Nordlund
SELF-ACTUALIZING - MEANING
Daniel Flower
 SE LF -A C T UA L IZIN G
M EAN IN G

Developing your best potential and

making life meaningful

• Feeling that one has a purpose in life

• Acting in conformity with one’s values
• Being a moral person
• Believing that one can make a difference
• Attaining a deeper understanding of
oneself
• Becoming who one really is
• Developing creativity and spontaneity

Self-fulfilment Values
Need for meaning Being true to one‘s own
Creativity / Spontaneity nature
Creative Commons material

Card “Relatedness / Belongingness”

Countless Laughs by S.Hart Photography (https://www.flickr.com/photos/62773334@N03/6854221363/in/fa-
ves-134329632@N05). Creative Commons CC BY-ND 2.0.
Alone by Derek Mindler (https://www.flickr.com/photos/derekmindler/11456051335/in/faves-134329632@N05).
Creative Commons CC BY 2.0.

Card “Security / Control”

Day 20: Sleeping girl by Loren Kerns (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenkerns/8398090837/in/fa-
ves-134329632@N05/). Creative Commons CC BY 2.0.
PAF Poker Challenge 2015 by Rob Watkins/PAF (https://www.flickr.com/photos/playamongfriends/17681528141/
in/faves-134329632@N05). Creative Commons CC BY 2.0.

Card “Pleasure / Stimulation”

Day 103: Joy swinging by Loren Kerns (https://www.flickr.com/photos/lorenkerns/8645901176/in/fa-
ves-134329632@N05). Creative Commons CC BY 2.0.
Souvenir Seller – Moscow – Russia by Adam Jones (https://www.flickr.com/photos/adam_jones/3774292034/in/
faves-134329632@N05). Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0.

Card “Independence / Autonomy”

A little help by Jenn Durfey (https://www.flickr.com/photos/dottiemae/5393326849/in/faves-134329632@N05)
Creative Commons CC BY 2.0.
Tombola Alzheimer by Premsa SantCugat (https://www.flickr.com/photos/premsasantcugat/8014891801/in/
faves-134329632@N05) Creative Commons CC-BY-NC 2.0

Card “Self-Actualizing / Meaning”

Finish by Philo Nordlund (https://www.flickr.com/photos/philon/2477878611/in/faves-134329632@N05). Creative
Commons CC BY 2.0.
Cristina by Daniel Flower (https://www.flickr.com/photos/danielflower/338772210/in/faves-134329632@N05).
Creative Commons CC BY 2.0.

Card “Competence / Effectiveness”

Audemas Piguet by Paolo Ferrarini (https://www.flickr.com/photos/ziopaopao/6987202386/). Creative Commons
CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.
Woman looking in oven and covering eyes over disastrous meal by SpeedKingz utilisée sous licence de Shutter-
stock.com

Card “Influence / Popularity”

Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker at Joey’s Diner by Michael Vadon (https://www.flickr.com/pho-
tos/80038275@N00/19655739358/in/faves-134329632@N05). Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0.
Outcast Teen Student by Scott Griessel utilisée sous licence de Fotolia.com

Link to Creative Commons licenses

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Creative Commons CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
Creative Commons CC BY-SA 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)
Creative Commons CC-BY-NC 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0/)