I still remember my first semester at university very clearly.
Everything was new, exciting, a little chaotic, and right at the beginning we had an introductory project on our schedule.
To be honest, I was a little nervous at the time. I didn’t really know what to expect. At the same time, however, I was incredibly curious and fascinated by everything related to User Experience.
And then suddenly we were given the topic: “AR Glasses for Cyclists.”
We were supposed to develop a user interface that would help cyclists reach their destination more safely and quickly using augmented reality.
I was thrilled.
From the First Brainstorming Session to the Persona
We were a team of four students, and on the very first day we started with an intensive brainstorming session.
Ideas were flying around the room: features, layouts, possible designs, safety considerations.
“What could such a pair of glasses look like?”
“Which information would be useful while cycling?”
“How much distraction is still acceptable?”
After a short time, we had developed our first personas — typical user profiles with their needs and goals.
But that wasn’t enough for us. We wanted to find out whether our assumptions were actually correct.
Out on the Streets – Real People, Real Reactions
So we went outside.
We conducted interviews on the streets and deliberately approached different target groups: commuters, students, and recreational cyclists. We asked whether they regularly cycled, what was important to them while riding, and how they felt about the idea of AR glasses that could provide them with guidance and safety information.
I still remember those street interviews very clearly.
It was amusing: every time we introduced ourselves and said that we were UX students, people initially looked at us with a questioning expression. Most of them had no idea what “UX” even meant. So my colleague patiently explained it every time — eventually with a little smile: “UX stands for User Experience — in other words, how people experience a product.”
Those conversations were a key moment for me. I realized that UX doesn’t begin with design — it begins with understanding.
With curiosity and with people.
My Conclusion
Our project ended with wireframes, concepts, and a clear structure for the user interface.
In the end, we even created a video showing how people might use the AR glasses in everyday life — a small simulation of our concept.
Although it was only a university project, it suddenly felt very real.
What stayed with me was this special feeling of having truly learned something.
That good design doesn’t start with drawing, but with listening, understanding, and empathizing.
A lot has changed since then, and I have learned an incredible amount.
I have realized that UX is much more than a beautiful interface or an attractive layout.
Ultimately, it is about human behavior. About how people think, feel, and act when they interact with technology.
UX means understanding these experiences and designing them in a way that feels natural.
