The initial six months of the workplan were focussed to build capacity within the consortium to set up and deploy the UX Challenge. After that, each partner started to set up the Challenge, which included the following tasks: setting out partnerships with local stakeholders (e.g. universities, industry representative associations), inviting potential participants (SMEs, university students, professionals acting as mentors to the teams) to apply to the initiative.
As a result, 190 SMEs were selected to participate in the project across the seven Countries. According to the RCT plan, 60 companies were randomly selected to take part in the UX Challenge, as beneficiaries - while the remaining 130 SMEs (a statistically equivalent group) would take part in a control group. Both groups would fill in a Baseline Survey – BS (before the treatment, during the application phase) and a Follow up Survey - FuS (after the treatment). Goal of the RCT was to observe significant increases in a number of chosen outcome and impact metrics in the treated SMEs. The RCT was coordination by FBK IRVAPP – the Centre for Valuative Research on Public Policies of Fondazione Bruno Kessler, based in Trento (IT).
All partners executed the UX Challenge in 7 Countries across Europe between February and April 2021. The initiatives took place mostly online, remotely, in order to cope with the COVID-19 restrictions. Thanks to that, 60 European SMEs could improve and innovate the user experience of 60 digital products and services, sourcing new mockups, wireframes and interactive prototypes for renewed versions of human computer interfaces developed by the teams of solvers using professional design and prototyping software.
The results of the RCT as well as the lessons learned by partners during the implementation of the pilot were presented and discussed in a workshop that involved other fourteen external stakeholders, which build the ground for dissemination, future exploitation and scale up of the piloted scheme. A final conference facilitated by a professional anchor was organized (remotely).
