About

About Me

Justus Edem Kwaku Tsar, M.Des.
Researcher | Author | UI/UX Designer | Interaction Designer | Design Researcher

A Ghanaian researcher, author, UI/UX designer, interaction designer, and design researcher whose work sits at the intersection of human-computer interaction (HCI), user experience design, human-centered design, digital innovation, sustainability, and emerging technologies.
I hold a Master of Design (M.Des.) in User Experience Design from Lovely Professional University, India, where he graduated with First Class/Honours in 2025, with a GPA of 7.88. I also previously earned a Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design (Advertising and Packaging) from Takoradi Technical University, Ghana with a GPA of 4.02, graduating with First Class in 2022, and a Higher National Diploma (HND) in Commercial Art (Graphic Design) from Takoradi Technical University, with a GPA of 3.58 graduating with Second Class Upper.
My academic and professional development reflects a progression from graphic and visual communication design to UI/UX design, interaction design, user research, and interdisciplinary design research. His interests focus on understanding human behaviour and designing digital and physical experiences that are usable, accessible, meaningful, culturally relevant, and sustainable.


Academic Research and Publications
Justus has developed a growing body of interdisciplinary research covering Human-Computer Interaction, UX research, interaction design, digital transformation, financial technology, biometric systems, healthcare wayfinding, sustainability, environmental design, digital inheritance, and consumer behaviour.
His published research includes:

1. Facial Recognition and Digital Payments
Tsar, J.E.K. & Gandhi, V.S. (2025).
Advancing Secure and Trustworthy Facial Recognition Payment Systems in India: Investigating User Privacy, Trust and Technological Challenges.
This research examines privacy, trust, security, technological challenges, and user considerations surrounding facial-recognition-based payment systems.

Research areas: Human-Computer Interaction, UX Research, Digital Payments, Biometric Technology, Human-Centered Design, Trust and Privacy.

2. Digital and Physical Asset Inheritance
Tsar, J.E.K. & Gandhi, V.S. (2025).
Lessening Legal Fights over Digital and Physical Unclaimed Assets After Death.
The research explores challenges associated with unclaimed digital and physical assets after death and considers approaches for improving the management, transfer, nomination, and accessibility of such assets.

Research areas: Design Research, Digital Transformation, Human-Centered Design, Digital Inheritance, Information Systems, Technology and Law.

3. Healthcare Wayfinding and Visual Communication
Tsar, J.E.K. & Wor, J. (2025).
Using New Wayfinding Design Solutions in Healthcare Settings to Make It Easier for People to Find Their Way Around and Communicate Visually.
This research investigates wayfinding and visual communication in healthcare environments, focusing on how design can improve navigation, accessibility, communication, and the overall experience of people using healthcare facilities.

Research areas: Interaction Design, Environmental Graphic Design, Wayfinding, Human-Centered Design, UX, Visual Communication, Design Research.

4. Published Book
Justus is also a published author and co-author of:
Tsar, J.E.K. & Gagan, N. (2025).
Bridging the Gap: Making Eco-Friendly Bags Desirable and Accessible — Barriers to the Use of Eco-Friendly Bags in India.
LAP LAMBERT Academic Publishing, London, UK.
ISBN: 978-620-9-12845-5

The book explores the adoption difficulties surrounding eco-friendly bags and examines how design, digital platforms, user engagement, sustainability awareness, accessibility, and behavioral factors can encourage the adoption of environmentally responsible alternatives. The work is closely connected to his Master’s research and the development of the Nega Eco Bags digital platform concept, which seeks to combine UX design, sustainability education, user engagement, digital accessibility, gamification, and sustainable consumption.


Current PhD Research Direction
Building on his academic background in UX design and his interdisciplinary research experience, Justus is currently developing a PhD research direction titled:
“Culturally Adaptive UI/UX Design for Mobile Financial Services in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Cross-Cultural HCI Investigation.”
The proposed research investigates how culture, user behaviour, accessibility, trust, usability, language, social practices, and contextual differences influence the design and adoption of mobile financial services across Sub-Saharan Africa.

His broader research interests include:

Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)
User Experience (UX) Research
UI/UX Design
Interaction Design
Human-Centered Design
Cross-Cultural HCI
Culturally Adaptive Design
Digital Financial Services
Mobile Technology
Digital Transformation
User Behaviour and Technology Adoption
Inclusive and Accessible Design
Sustainable Design
Design for Social Impact
Emerging Technologies
Design Research


Professional Design Background
Alongside his academic research, Justus has developed professional experience in graphic design, advertising, visual communication, UI/UX design, and user-centred design. His professional background includes work with organizations such as Cave and Gardens Ghana Ltd and Yellow Pages, Trade Fair, Ghana, where he contributed to graphic design and visual communication activities.
His design practice has evolved from traditional graphic and advertising design into digital product design, UI/UX design, interaction design, user research, prototyping, and human-centered digital experiences.
He combines creative design thinking with research-driven approaches to understand users, identify problems, develop solutions, and create meaningful experiences.


Design and Research Philosophy
Justus believes that effective design should go beyond aesthetics. His approach focuses on understanding people, culture, behaviour, technology, and context before developing solutions.
His work therefore seeks to answer questions such as:
How do people interact with technology?
How does culture influence digital experiences?
How can design improve accessibility and inclusion?
How can emerging technologies be made more trustworthy and human-centred?
How can design contribute to sustainable behaviour and social impact?

Through this interdisciplinary approach, he aims to contribute to the development of digital experiences that are usable, inclusive, culturally relevant, accessible, trustworthy, and sustainable.



Academic and Professional Profile
My academic journey demonstrates a progression from
Commercial Art and Graphic Design → Advertising and Packaging → User Experience Design → Interaction Design → Human-Computer Interaction and Design Research.
His current research direction represents the next stage of this development, with a particular interest in applying HCI and UX research to culturally diverse populations in Sub-Saharan Africa.
I am particularly interested in collaborating with researchers and academic institutions working in HCI, UX, interaction design, digital financial services, culturally adaptive computing, human-centered design, and emerging technologies.


Academic Qualifications
Master of Design (M.Des.) in User Experience Design — Lovely Professional University, India, 2025 — First Class/Honours
Bachelor’s Degree in Graphic Design (Advertising & Packaging) — Takoradi Technical University, Ghana — First Class
Higher National Diploma (HND) in Commercial Art (Graphic Design) — Takoradi Technical University, Ghana – Second Class.


Professional Identity
Researcher | Author | UX/UI Designer | Interaction Designer | HCI Researcher | Human-Centered Design Researcher


Research Focus
Human-Computer Interaction | UX Research | Interaction Design | Human-Centered Design |
Culturally Adaptive UI/UX | Digital Financial Services | Sustainable Design | Design Research

Justus Edem Kwaku Tsar continues to build his academic and professional career around a central goal: researching human behaviour and designing better digital experiences that respond meaningfully to people’s cultural, social, technological, and environmental contexts.