Does teaching user-centered design matter to academia? A systematic review

Authors

  • María Abellán Hernández Universidad de Murcia, España
  • Brenda Vázquez La Hoz Universidad Internacional de La Rioja, España

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.65598/rps.5955

Keywords:

Teaching, User-Centered Design, Higher education

Abstract

This article presents a systematic review of research published on higher education teaching in User-Centred Design (UCD) within the fields of Communication and Marketing between 2014 and 2024. The search was conducted in the Scopus and Web of Science (WoS) databases, from which 12 texts were selected—10 journal articles and 2 book chapters—with the aim of identifying key insights from studies on UX education from the perspective of UCD philosophy. The review shows that the studies are not interconnected and focus primarily on UX methodologies aimed at improving learning in undergraduate and postgraduate programs at various universities, mainly in the United States. The findings reveal the need to increase research on how to train instructors in this discipline and how to develop curricula that reflect current industry needs. Finally, the review identifies the existence of relevant scientific production outside conventional indexing circuits, highlighting the need for a new literature review drawing on additional data sources.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Alamsyah, D. R., Resmi, M. G., & Jaelani, I. (2023). A Design UI/UX E-Learning English Mobile Using Centered Design (UCD) Method. Sinkron : Jurnal Dan Penelitian Teknik Informatika, 7(4), 2434-2443. https://doi.org/10.33395/sinkron.v8i4.12727

Albert, B. & Tullis, T. (2023). Measuring the User Experience. Collecting, analyzing, and representing UX Metrics. Morgan Kaufmann.

Alcaraz-Martínez, R. (2021). SEO centrado en el usuario: un cambio de paradigma orientado a satisfacer mejor las necesidades de las personas en el buscador de Google. Cuadernos de Documentación Multimedia, (32). 1-14. https://dx.doi.org/10.5209/cdmu.81156

Allanwood, G. y Beare, P. (2021). Diseño de experiencias de usuario: Introducción práctica. (2ª ed.). Parramon Paidotribo.

Akawi, Y. (2017). Do we need a better term for UX? https://www.inc.com/yazin-akkawi/is-ux-dead.html

Asanza Choez, JA, Asanza Choez, RR, & Pincay Mendoza, YA (2024). Marketing digital en educación superior. Minerva , 5 (14), 9-18. https://doi.org/10.47460/minerva.v5i14.159

Balakrishnan, B. (2021). Exploring the impact of design thinking tool among design undergraduates: a study on creative skills and motivation to think creatively". International Journal of Technology and Design Education, (32), pp. 1799-1812. doi:10.1007/ s10798-021-09652-y

Bolton, R. N., Chapman, R. G., & Mills, A. J. (2019). Harnessing digital disruption with marketing simulations. Journal of Marketing Education, 41(1), 15–31. https://doi.org/10.1177/0273475318803417

Buchanan, R. (1992). Wicked problems in Design Thinking. Design Issues 8(2), 5-21. https://doi.org/10.2307/1511637.

Carballo-Huerta, M. A. y González-Ramírez, G. A. (2023). El diseño centrado en el usuario: Estrategia para la actualización docente. Revista Legado de Arquitectura y Diseño, 18(34). 171-176. http://dx.doi.org/10.36677/legado.v18i34.19365

Chammas, A., Quaresma, M., Mont’Alvão, C. (2015). A Closer Look on the User Centred Design, Procedia Manufacturing (3) , pp. 5397-5404. ISSN 2351-9789. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.promfg.2015.07.656

Cobarrubias, N.; Rodríguez, H. y Zaldívar, X. (2022). Diseño centrado en el usuario: interacción hombre-computadora. Revista digital de tecnologías informáticas y sistemas, 6(1), 78-84. https://doi.org/10.61530/redtis.2022.6.6.124.7

Cooper, A., Reimann, R., Cronin, D. & Noessel, C. (2014). About face: The essential of interaction design (4ª ed.). Wiley.

Dantas, D. (2019). Storytelling as a Research Tool in a User-Centred Design Process. En T. A. Hayes; T. Eldman y L. Brown (ed.). Storytelling: Global Reflections on Narrative (pp. 53-60). Brill.

Deegan, C. M. (2021). Learning and Teaching Research Methods by Universal Design: A Practical Case Study. En F. Fovet (ed.). Handbook of Research on Applying Universal Design for Learning Across Disciplines: Concepts, Case Studies, and Practical Implementation (pp. 188-205). IGI Global Publishing. http://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-7998-7106-4.ch010

Dirin, A. & Nieminen, M. (2016). Relevance of UCD Education to Software Development – Recommendation for Curriculum Design. Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Computer Supported Education (CSEDU 2016), 2, 112-120. https://www.scitepress.org/PublishedPapers/2016/57979/57979.pdf

Díaz, G. (2024). Mediaciones pedagógicas y tecnológicas en las prácticas de enseñanza del nivel superior. Reconstruir los procesos metodológicos en los actuales escenarios educativos. En M. Kap (comp). Didáctica y tecnología. Encrucijadas, debates y desafíos (66-92). Eudem.

Godoy, M.E, Izcovich, M., Apollonio, A. (2021). Diseño centrado en los usuarios. XXXV Jornadas de Investigación. XVII Regional. Regional SI + Palabras clave. Universidad de Buenos Aires. 3106-3127. https://publicacionescientificas.fadu.uba.ar/index.php/actas/article/view/2224/2398

Gómez, I. M. y Ruiz, M. (2018). Interdisciplinariedad y TIC: nuevas metodologías docentes aplicadas a la enseñanza superior Revista De Medios Y Educación, (52). 67–80. https://doi.org/10.12795/pixelbit.2018.i52.05

Gonzalez, S; Almazán, A.; Cornejo, R. & Caro, K. (2024). Following UCD and SCRUM for Designing a Virtual Environment to Support the Emotional Development of Children with Autism. Avances en Interacción Humano-Computadora, 9(1), 257–260. https://doi.org/10.47756/aihc.y9i1.180.

Hammed, H., Maurya, M. y Arif, M. (2025). Optimizing User Engagement. The Synergy of Social Media Marketing and UX/UI Design. En S. Bandyopadhyay y B. Rishi (Ed.). Contemporary Issues in Social Media Marketing (pp. 80-97). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003412656

IARSLCE (s.f.). International Association for Research on Service-Learning and Community Engagement. https://www.iarslce.org/

IEEE Xplore (s. f.). IEEE Transactions on Profesionnal Communication. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/aboutJournal.jsp?punumber=47

Ingram, C. Langrham, T. & Perrotta, C. (2022). Teaching design thinking as a tool to address complex public health challenges in public health students: a case study. BMC Medical Education, 22(270), 1-9. (2022) https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-022-03334-6

SCImago Journal & Country Rank (s.f). https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21100268403&tip=sid&exact=no

Jahns, H.; Markey, B. K.; de Waal, T. & Cassidy, J. P. (2021). Climbing the Integration Ladder: A Case Study on an Interdisciplinary and Case-Based Approach to Teaching General Pathology, Parasitology and Microbiology in the Veterinary Curriculum. Journal of Veterinary Medical Education, 49(2), https://doi.org/10.3138/jvme-2020-0085

Juárez-Varón, D. y Juárez-Varón, M. A. (2024). SEO vs. UX in Web Design: Are Companies' Digital Marketing Strategies Correct? A Neurotechnological Study. International Journal of Software Science and Computational Intelligence (IJSSCI), 16(1), https://www.doi.org/10.4018/IJSSCI.342127

Kiernan, C. (2023). Universal Design: a valuable resource to enhance and improve teaching and learning. Irish Journal of Academic Practice, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.21427/986V-1A03

Lame, G. (2019). Systematic Literature Reviews: An Introduction. Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference on Engineering Design, 1 (1), 1633–1642. http://www.doi.org/10.1017/dsi.2019.169

Larusdottir, M.; Roto, V.; Stage, J. & Lucero, A. (2018). Get Realistic! - UCD Course Design and Evaluation. En: Bogdan, C., Kuusinen, K., Lárusdóttir, M., Palanque, P., Winckler, M. (eds) Human-Centered Software Engineering. HCSE 2018. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 11262. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-05909-5_2

Li, P. & Li. C. (2020). A Four-in-one Teaching Model for Fundamental Nursing Based on UCD Theory. International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (iJET), 15(15). 188–201. https://doi.org/10.3991/ijet.v15i15.15713

Mao, J. Y., Vredenburg, K., Smith, P. W., & Carey, T. (2001). User-centered design methods in practice: a survey of the state of the art. In Proceedings of the 2001 conference of the Centre for Advanced Studies on Collaborative research, 1-13.

McKinsey and Company (2022). What are Industry 4.0, the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and 4IR? https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/mckinsey-explainers/what-are-industry-4-0-the-fourth-industrial-revolution-and-4ir

Moncayo, Y. P.; Álvarez, J. W., y Camacho, V. P. (2022). La evolución del marketing y su perspectiva en la gestión empresarial. Pol. Con., 7(7), 1651–1666. https://doi.org/10.23857/pc.v7i7

Norman, D. (2013). The design of everyday things: Revised and expanded edition. Basic books.

Noyes, J. & Baber, C. (1999). User Centred Design of Systems. Springer.

Lame, G. (2019). Systematic Literature Reviews: An introduction. Proceedings of the Design Society: International Conference of Engineering Design, 1633-1643. https://doi.org/10.1017/dsi.2019.169

Parra-Armendariz, C., Ulloa Viteri, S., & Medina, P. (2022). Revisión sistemática de literatura sobre marketing educativo. Religación, 7(33), e210943. https://doi.org/10.46652/rgn.v7i33.943

Pelet, J. É., Durrieu, F. y Lick, E. (2020). Diseño de etiquetas de vinos vendidos en línea: Efectos de la autenticidad percibida en la intención de compra. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services , 55 , 102087.

López, A., Puente, N. y Gutiérrez, R. (2025). La docencia en marketing digital en educación superior: una revisión sistemática. Doxa Comunicación, 40, pp. 183-202. https://doi.org/10.31921/doxacom.n40a2026

Richards, M.B. y Marshall, S.W. (2019). Experiential learning theory in digital marketing communication: Application & outcomes of the applied marketing & media education norm (AMEN). Journal of Marketing Development & Competitiveness, 13(1), 86-98. https://doi.org/10.33423/jmdc.v13i1.684

Rizo, E. (2021). Más que diseño de experiencia (UX). Life-centred design para productos y servicios. ESIC.

Romans, A. (2024). “Lo más importante es crear productos que se adapten a la vida de las personas, su estética es secundaria”. Ethic. https://ethic.es/2024/06/entrevista-don-norman/

Salah, D.; Paige, R. F. & Cairns, P. (2014). A systematic literature review for agile development processes and user centred design integration. EASE '14: Proceedings of the 18th International Conference on Evaluation and Assessment in Software Engineering,1 – 10. https://doi.org/10.1145/2601248.2601276

Saura, J. R.; Reyes-Menéndez, L.; Matos, N. y Correira, M. S. (2020). Consumer Behaviour in Digital Age. Journal of Spatial and Organizational Dynamics (JSOD). VIII(3) 190-196. https://journals.cinturs.pt/jtsw/article/view/242/188

Sauro, J. (2016). The Challenges and Opportunities of Measuring the User Experience. JUS. Journal of USability Studies. 12(1), 1-7. https://uxpajournal.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/7/pdf/JUS_Sauro_Nov2016.pdf

Sharma, H. (2023). The Importance of Website Usability in Digital Marketing: A Review. London Journal of Research in Computer Science and Technology, 23(3). 25-32.

Shivers-McNair, A., Phillips, J., Campbell, A., Mai, HH, Yan, A., Macy, JF, Wenlock, J.; Fry, S. y Guan, Y. (2018). Diseño centrado en el usuario en el aula y más allá: Hacia una práctica responsable. Computers and Composition , 49 , 36-47. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compcom.2018.05.003

Tankala, S. (2023). UX & Marketing: Balancing Business Goals and Supporting Users. NNg (Nielsen&Norman group. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-and-marketing/

Taylor & Francis (s.f). https://www.tandfonline.com/journals/htcq20

International Journal of Design Education. https://www.scimagojr.com/journalsearch.php?q=21100268403&tip=sid#google_vignette

Universidad del Zulia. Sistema de Servicios Bibliotecarios y de Información de la Universidad del Zulia. https://produccioncientificaluz.org/index.php/rcs/issue/view/3978

Visescu, I.; Larusdottir, M. & Islind,A. S. (2023). Supporting Active Learning in STEM Higher Education Through the User-Centred Design Sprint, IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 1-10, doi: 10.1109/FIE58773.2023.10342978.

Watson, A.; Syrdal, H.; Osborn, J.; McGrath, R.; Ringleb, A.; Botten, T.; Leoni, S. y Waller, M. (2022). Special Session: The University of Google? A Panel Discussion about the Disruptive Changes in Marketing Education and What Programs May Look Like in the Not-So-Distant Future: An Abstract. Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science, 167-168.

Watulingas, K. H., & Cendana, W. (2020). Analisis praktik refleksi guru dalam konteks program pendidikan inklusif: Studi kasus empat guru kelas inklusif di sekolah dasar. Jurnal Basicedu, 4(4), 871-878.

Watulingas, E. B. y Permana, D. (2020). The Influence of User Interface, User Experience and Digital Marketing toward Purchase Intention. International Humanities and Applied Sciences Journal (IAHJS), 3(2). 35-39. https://www.doi.org/10.22441/ihasj.2020.v3i2.05

Whitney, P. (2024). Capitán Swing. https://capitanswing.com/libros/el-diseno-de-las-cosas-cotidianas/

Wiley Online Library. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14768070

Yang, S. (2023). Sentiment and Storytelling: What Affect User Experience and Communication Effectiveness in Virtual Environments? Journalism and Media, (4)1, 30-41. https://doi.org/10.3390/journalmedia4010003

Zahay, D., Pollitte, W.A., Reavey, B. y Alvarado, A. (2022). An integrated model of digital marketing curriculum design, Marketing Education Review, 32(3):205-223. https://doi.org/10.1080/10528008.2021.1947856

Published

2025-12-28

How to Cite

Abellán Hernández, M., & Vázquez La Hoz, B. (2025). Does teaching user-centered design matter to academia? A systematic review. Prisma Social Journal, (51), 442–461. https://doi.org/10.65598/rps.5955