This thesis analyses the impact of the brutalist approach to web design on the user experience, focusing on usability and user satisfaction. The theoretical part of the thesis gives an overview of this design approach in the context of the history of web design as well as modern digital trends and practises in UX/UI design. The experimental part of the thesis involves testing different brutalist websites to evaluate their impact on users of different age groups. The results show that despite its rough appearance, brutalism can have a positive impact on the usability and satisfaction of younger users, while older generations tend to favour more traditional solutions.
Generative AI technologies are at the centre of many debates. To better understand the challenges these technologies raise in the arts, we conducted a creative project based entirely on open-source, self-hosted models. This practice-based research approach in digital arts and technologies enabled us to co-produce Pierrot Lunaire, based on Arnold Schönberg’s musical work, as part of a large-scale European project exploring AI and creativity. In this article, we present a detailed and comprehensive study of the workflows we discovered and implemented and suggest some of the consequences of introducing these technologies into our artistic practice.
This paper explores the relationship between non-player character (NPC) behaviour and the effect it can have on the player and their overall experience of the video game through a surveybased evaluation. The experimental part of this paper describes the process of creating a simulated video game environment in Unity, a cross-platform game engine, with the addition of Adventure Creator, a Unity toolkit. It showcases certain NPC behaviour and analyses the results of the survey that was conducted after the players finished playing the simulation. The survey was completed by 23 participants (n=23). Convincement, interactivity and consistency of the behaviour were the most mentioned qualities when it came to positive experiences, while unclear and unnatural behaviour compounded with technical difficulties greatly diminished the player’s experience. The participants tended to assign meaning, intentions and even emotions to relatively simple programmed behaviours, emphasizing the impact of the player’s interpretation when it comes to interacting with an NPC and showing that even the simplest variations in behaviour can greatly impact the way it can be perceived and interpreted; thus it was concluded that NPC behaviour has an important role in the process of shaping the experience and opinion of the player. This study contributes to the ongoing discussion of the ways that NPC behaviour can be developed to create an impactful impression on the player and challenge the ways a player can interact with the world of the video game.
In the printing process, geometric optical illusions often appear, affecting the perception of shapes by observers. Under the influence of various geometric structures, visual illusions may occur that distort the perception of geometric properties as seen by the observer. This paper presents the results of a psychophysical visual experiment in which three different achromatic variants of the Ebbinghaus illusion with white and black circles were tested. The aim was to investigate how this illusion depends on the colouring of the outer and inner Ebbinghaus circles in printed materials. Samples were defined with white circles, black circles, and black inner with white outer circles. The study involved 27 participants of different genders, aged 18 to 23 years. Differences in illusion strength across samples were tested using the non-parametric Friedman ANOVA for repeated measures, followed by post-hoc analysis with Wilcoxon matched-pairs tests. The existence of pairs of samples that differ statistically significantly was established. Furthermore, a statistically significant difference was found between the samples with all white and all black circles (p < 0.05), while no statistically significant differences were found among the other pairs. Descriptive statistics showed that the strongest illusion intensity occurred in the samples with black-coloured inner and outer circles.
This paper presents the study, design and testing of Dixi, a variable typeface family developed to support readers with dyslexia. The aim of the study was to investigate how typographic characteristics and variable letterform design can improve reading accessibility and adapt to the individual needs of readers with dyslexia. Dyslexia affects reading and writing processes, and can impact broader communication abilities, making the improvement of reading accessibility essential. The study analyses cognitive reading processes, symptoms of dyslexia and existing dyslexia-friendly typographic guidelines. A review of related studies indicates that while certain design features may enhance legibility, findings regarding specialised dyslexia typefaces remain inconsistent due to individual differences among readers. Based on these insights and user-centred considerations, the Dixi typeface family was developed and empirically tested. The results suggest that not all characteristics of existing dyslexia-friendly typefaces necessarily improve reading performance. Instead, highly legible sans-serif characteristics in character shape tend to yield stronger results. The variable nature of Dixi, allowing adjustment between simpler and more complex letterforms, enables individual adaptation to reader needs, representing its primary contribution.
