# Overview of problems, chances and practices of integrating UX and Open Source Software development (ideally based on research)

**URL:** <https://discourse.opensourcedesign.net/t/overview-of-problems-chances-and-practices-of-integrating-ux-and-open-source-software-development-ideally-based-on-research/150>\
**Category:** Communication and collaboration\
**Created:** [May 12, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.opensourcedesign.net/t/overview-of-problems-chances-and-practices-of-integrating-ux-and-open-source-software-development-ideally-based-on-research/150 "2017-05-12T18:42:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://canada1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/uploads/opensourcedesign/original/1X/8cd739a58030a4afeb37abf872f5ffd3319bbc63.png) [@system](https://discourse.opensourcedesign.net/u/system)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2017, 6:42pm UTC](https://discourse.opensourcedesign.net/t/overview-of-problems-chances-and-practices-of-integrating-ux-and-open-source-software-development-ideally-based-on-research/150/1 "2017-05-12T18:42:09Z")

</div>

This was [migrated from github](https://github.com/opensourcedesign/organization/issues/74)

**Story:** As an opensourcedesigner, I want to know which problems and perks designers can expect in FOSS projects and what the strategies are of dealing with it, ideally based on research.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jdittrich](https://yyz1.discourse-cdn.com/flex029/user_avatar/discourse.opensourcedesign.net/jdittrich/32/42_2.png) [@jdittrich](https://discourse.opensourcedesign.net/u/jdittrich)\
**Post date:** [May 12, 2017, 6:44pm UTC](https://discourse.opensourcedesign.net/t/overview-of-problems-chances-and-practices-of-integrating-ux-and-open-source-software-development-ideally-based-on-research/150/2 "2017-05-12T18:44:58Z")

</div>

Some results from reviewing papers, among others the ones at @victoria-bondarchuk [repository with research on FOSS Design](https://github.com/victoria-bondarchuk/List-of-Academic-Research-on-Usability-in-FOSS)

@jdittrich [wrote on github](https://github.com/opensourcedesign/organization/issues/74#issuecomment-287403493)

> - There are incentives to introduce new features to open source software. Basically, there is few punishment for adding some functionality and probably quite some incentives to do so. _(Usability in open source software development: Opinions and practice, Andreasen)_
> - There are no incentives of removing features, on the contrary
> - Power users will be annoyed (someone will have liked the feature)
> - You will get rid of functionality someone else programmed in their free time, they won’t be happy
> - Decision making will be based on consensus (_Usability in open source software development: Opinions and practice, Andreasen_); there are few usability experts, many non-experts and many opinions about not removing or substantially changing a feature.
> 
> - Creating code is seen as good/doing something, discussions, alignment etc. is seen as not doing something/not helpful (Enabling User Centered Design Processes in Open Source Communities,
> - Developers are not typical end users (_The Usability of Open Source Software, Nicols, Twidale_ | _Enabling User Centered Design Processes in Open Source Communities Mads Bødker_)
> - Hard to modularize open source software (_The Usability of Open Source Software, Nicols, Twidale_)