Laura Ruel

Laura Ruel

Associate Professor, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Laura is an Associate Professor of Design, User Experience, and Digital Media at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With more than 15 years of experience in the journalism and media industries, Laura brings her passion for creating an informed public to her expertise in design, usability and eye tracking research. Laura’s work focuses on UI and UX design with a recent emphasis on AI integration. Laura is an advocate for diversity and inclusion in the tech industry, and a member of many professional organizations. Laura is the faculty advisor to FLUX, Future Leaders of UX at UNC. Drawing on her background and research, Laura aims to help the community understand the positive impacts of effective UX design.

Breaking Down the Distinctions: Evaluating AI-generated Web Designs

This presentation involves an interactive journey where participants will assess the power of AI-generated designs versus human-generated designs. Using eye tracking technology and usability testing, participants will uncover how each design influences the user experience. The participants will consider the clients' goals, including target audience, content strategy, and KPIs, and share their input on the potential success of each prototype. By initially concealing their origin, we ensure unbiased thoughts about the impact of each mock-up. At the end, we reveal the source of each and explore the contrasts between AI-generated and conventional designs, unraveling insightful differences and future challenges. Participants will gain a balanced perspective on the capabilities and implications of integrating AI in UX design.