Humans First : Enhancing the User Experience in a Data Analytics System
Liman, Hanna · Doria (University of Helsinki) · 2025
User experience plays a crucial role in the success of any website, as it directly shapes how the users perceive, interpret, and interact with digital content. Since the user interface serves as the main point of interaction between the user and the system, its design should be guided by cognitive and psychological principles to ensure intuitive experiences. This thesis examines how principles from cognitive psychology and human behavior can be applied to improve user experience in web design, demonstrated through the practical redesign of a data analytics system for SimAnalytics Oy. The redesign was carried out using The Five Planes of User Experience framework, developed by Jesse James Garrett, to structure the design process and ensure alignment with user needs. The interface was designed in Figma and supported by psychological concepts related to cognitive load, memory retention, and user motivation. Feedback was gathered through a digital questionnaire and used to iteratively refine the prototypes. The project resulted in concrete solutions and prototypes that made the system more intuitive, efficient, and adaptable across different use cases.