Bad UX kills

Colin O'Donnell is the chief innovation officer of Intersection. It clogs systems, causes accidents, wastes energy and makes people unhappy. It's more than a bad experience on a website -- in cities, bad user experience (UX) design can actually kill. We're talking about signage, public spaces, civic and emergency communications and other forms of urban design that influence our daily routines and, in some cases, are there expressly for our safety. As more parts of our cities go digital, we have the opportunity to make cities not just safer and more functional, but more human, intuitive and enjoyable with UX that's responsive to the world around us. While bad UX can cause anxiety, confusion and even injury, great user experience design can create efficiencies, keep us safe, get us where we are going faster and turn everyday city drudgery into moments of discovery, surprise and enjoyment.