HCI in the Wild: Measuring UX
within the Product Ecosystem

Edited by Carolyn Pang, PhD and Serena Hillman, PhD

Available Now on Springer

We are pleased to announce that our book will be available June 2026 from Springer’s Human-Computer Interaction series.

  • This casebook showcases how user experience (UX) research can drive business strategy through evaluative methods grounded in real-world product development.

    Originally launched as a call for chapters in 2024, the project has evolved into a curated volume of 13 case studies from researchers and practitioners across industry. The book will be published and available in Spring 2026.

  • HCI in the Wild: Measuring UX within the Product Ecosystem addresses an important gap in the field: how to apply evaluative, outcome-oriented UX research in fast-paced industry settings. While academic programs emphasize foundational methods, few resources offer concrete examples of how to measure impact, drive product decisions, and communicate value to stakeholders. This book fills that need.

    Whether you’re a student, emerging researcher, or seasoned practitioner, this casebook provides valuable insights into how researchers navigate organizational complexity, develop metrics, influence product direction, and measure real-world outcomes.

  • This casebook is for anyone using UX research to make better product decisions in real-world settings.

    It is written for:

    • UX researchers aiming to increase their strategic impact

    • HCI students and educators seeking applied, industry case studies

    • Product, design, and research leaders building mature research programs

    • Cross-functional teams wanting a clearer view of how UX research drives outcomes

    Above all, it offers practical examples of evaluative research in complex systems - where usability, trust, and business impact intersect.

Book Structure & Topics

  • Research as Infrastructure

    This section shows how UX research becomes most impactful when embedded as an organizational capability, not a set of isolated studies. The chapters offer practical examples of institutionalizing research through playbooks, frameworks, programs, and shared practices that build consistency, stakeholder trust, and long-term influence across teams and products.

  • Tailoring and Expanding Metrics

    This section broadens what UX measurement can capture in enterprise and emerging technology contexts. The chapters introduce new instruments and approaches for evaluating usability, aesthetics, accessibility, and trust in AI systems, demonstrating how metrics must be adapted to context, user needs, and the evolving realities of responsible product design.

  • Navigating Complexity in the Wild

    The final section explores the realities of doing UX research in large-scale, dynamic environments where controlled studies often collide with real-world unpredictability. These case studies highlight how researchers balance rigor with adaptability, blending methods, building safeguards, and generating trustworthy insights in complex ecosystems such as AI-assisted work, biometrics, and pricing.