Is your favourite app outdated? World Usability Day 2024 shows what’s next!

World Usability Day brings the global community together to make human-centred designs for all easy-to-use experiences. Celebrated annually on every second Thursday of November, it brings designers, researchers, and thinkers from various fields to share insights, innovations, and ideas on how we can better interact with the world.

The 2024 theme, Inclusive Design: Creating Accessible and Adaptive Experiences, challenges the movement from merely accessible toward designs that adapt over time to meet changing user needs. The theme underscores the need for designs that are not only accessible but also adaptive —responsive to the unique needs of different individuals and able to evolve as those needs change.

According to Dr Neerja Dhingra, Principal, Apeejay College of Fine Arts, Jalandhar: “In an increasingly digital world, good design goes beyond appearance — it’s about creating meaningful interactions that make life easier, fairer, and more sustainable for all. World Usability Day reminds us that inclusive design isn’t just a choice; it’s a responsibility to support every user, everywhere,” Dr Dhingra shared.

A true innovation in design, she said lies in its ability to serve everyone equitably, providing clear, accessible, and sustainable solutions to everyday challenges. “World Usability Day 2024 is a call to action for designers to rethink how products and services shape human experiences — and how they can foster a better world for generations to come,” she added.

In many ways, inclusive design has already made a big difference. For example, Google’s Live Transcribe application now revolutionises communication of hearing-impaired people by providing real-time speech-to-text functionality that empowers its users not to become disengaged by conversations.

Or imagine a healthcare app that adjusts its font size and interface colours for visually impaired users or a digital platform that provides multilingual options to cater to a global audience. These adaptations create a world that feels welcoming and functional for everyone, regardless of age, ability, or background.

How AI is changing usability

Advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI) are also fueling the future of usability. Personalisation with AI enables apps to adapt interfaces based on user behaviour and preferences like providing a simple, user-friendly banking app that enables seniors to handle financial transactions independently; it doesn’t just serve a functional purpose but also instils confidence, independence, and emotional satisfaction.

World Usability Day 2024 marks a reflection on the continuous journey toward a better-designed world; of products that are more inclusive, adaptive, and enriching. Of course, as we journey towards new technologies such as virtual and augmented reality, we face new challenges and possibilities. Design for these platforms will challenge creators to think beyond the standard usability frameworks in terms of immersive, interactive, and highly adaptive experiences.