UXR IN INDIA: A Historical Perspective
"Study the past if you would define the future."
- Confucius
It is important to document a historical perspective on how User Experience Research (UXR) has evolved in the sub-continent, to better understand the user research ecosystem in India today and tomorrow. History of User Research (UR) involves a study of disciplines such as anthropological, sociological and psychological evolution in India tracing to colonial times or even before, requiring a much larger, concerted and institutional effort. UR is a much broader and more complex area yet to be documented in a historical context so, we decided to trace the history of UXR in India.
The timeline below is a small glimpse of what the mini-book has to offer. The mini-book sets the context, approach to the project and a detailed version of this story of UXR which is now the first of its kind documentation on India’s UXR history for public access.
Download the mini-book at the end of this page. Share it and spread the history to build a more impactful future for user research.
1960-1980
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Local, Indian and international FMCG brands were building new identities to move on from the era of British colonial rule.
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Big companies such as Kirloskar, TATA, and Godrej led innovation and development, while academia focused on industry-oriented research and projects.
1980-1990
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Research and testing were focused on creating human-friendly designs by improving the design and functionality of industrial products and systems, with ergonomics and cognitive ergonomics gaining importance.
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Companies such as Kirloskar and Wipro were leading multiple research initiatives where engineers were spearheading various studies that involved observing and testing individuals using computers.
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Market research also continued to develop during this time, with a focus on product or brand value proposition, user motivations and barriers, service design and process, and longitudinal research.
1990-2000
The 1990s, a turning point for India’s growth in technology and development was largely driven by the country's economic liberalisation policies. After 1991, the PC revolution was felt in India apart from accelerated changes in critical sectors such as telecommunications, biotechnology, electronics, IT and software. The PC revolution led to the emergence of studying Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) more widely.
2000-2010
The period between 2000 and 2010 was a crucial time for UXR in India, during which it began to grow in scope and was recognised as an emerging discipline.
It is obvious that you should download the mini-book!
2010-2020
Over the last decade, UXR practice gained global traction, including in India, where it was adopted by product-tech and non-tech companies (with digital/ tech org).
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This is the last time we state it with excitement, download the mini-book!
