About the Lab

Who are we?

A friendly group of researchers and students who are interested in the questions:

• How do users solve various problems in interaction with digital devices?
• How do users perceive information?
• How do users think and what mistakes do they make?

What are we doing?

We conduct scientific research and actively involve HSE students in the research projects. We teach students how to plan and conduct fundamental research in psychology as well as how to organize applied research in the field of usability.

What is “cognitive”?

The term ‘cognitive’ is related to cognition and the development of knowledge. The UX Lab studies cognitive processes such as thinking, memory, perception, and attention.

What is usability?

Usability is the degree of convenience in the usage of any object. Usually, this term refers to digital interfaces: websites, mobile applications, etc. The degree of the digital product usage efficiency depends on the convenience of its interface directly.

What are the Lab's areas of research?

The main areas of the Lab's fundamental research include:

• the study of psychological mechanisms for solving perceptual and mental tasks; in particular, the study of errors made by digital devices users
• the study of motor tasks solving mechanisms in digital devices users; in particular, the study of identification the different types of actions with objects (affordances)
• the study of differences in perception of different types of interface design.

The Lab's research methodology is activity-centered design. This is a method of studying and developing interactive systems. This method considers users' characteristics, their needs, goals, and activities to create usable and useful systems.

The Lab's research projects are also based on the approach of embodied cognition, in which it is assumed that motor and sensory systems are directly involved in the implementation of cognitive processes.

I would like to learn more about the Lab and take part in the projects. What do I need to do?

It is best to send an email to the Lab head or to the researcher whose project you are interested in.