Human-Centric UX Design in Engineering Software: Improving Usability and Productivity for Professional Engineers

Abstract

The trend to Human-Centric UX Design in engineering software is an important directional shift toward driving the usability, productivity, and enjoyment of use for professional engineers in today’s ever more complex digital work environment. ' " As needs change and as the application landscape (ranging from CAD, simulation and project management environments) shifts to a new generation of tools, so do traditional interface models meet less than necessary levels of support for the cognitive and workflow activities that describe engineers simultaneously dealing with precision, creativity and collaboration. This paper delves into how Human-Centric UX practices are intertwining with both user empathy and cognitive ergonomics (that takes the helpfulness of adaptive interaction elements into account) to narrow down software functionality towards 1:1 human-computer interactions. The framework presented in this research work coalesces ideas from usability engineering, cognitive psychology and human–computer interaction (HCI) to place intuitive design, easy task flow navigation and context-aware performance at the heart of new educational tools. Through empirical studies and heuristic evaluations involving system users, the project results have shown that integration of participatory design, responsive interfaces and AI-assisted UX features can increase the precision of task performance, lower cognitive load requirements, and increase productivity levels in various areas within engineering. The paper makes a theoretical and practical con- tribution by providing actionable design guidelines to UX profession- als and software engineers interested in developing future engineer- ing tools in the spirit of human-centered innovation and sustainable digital productivity.