User Experience

The term User Experience (short UX, German literally: user experience, better user experience and user experience - it is also widely spoken by the user experience ) describes all aspects of the experience of a user when interacting with a product, service, an environment or facility. This includes software and IT systems. The term ' user experience ' is usually associated with designing websites or apps to use, but actually includes any, even non- digital product interaction.

Objective and detailed definition

User experience plays a major role in product and service development. In many areas, Vitruvius is seen as the first architect and designer of the concepts Firmitas (strength), Utilitas ( utility, usability) and venustas ( Beauty) has defined the criteria for the Nutzerlebnis, even if it was at that time still geared more towards building.

When expectations of a user are met, it is convenient to use a product. Depending on the nature of the product, the three criteria manifest something different. While at a house strength means that it does not coincide, it means for software is that it does not crash or can not be hacked, and for a car that it is not susceptible to repair.

In a house completely different functions are useful as, for example, a cooking stove, or in a complex computer game. Not only one, that the functions are easily accessible, but also whether the functionality exists. For example, if a car has an additional accelerator but no brake, then it is less useful.

An experience is characterized by the holistic understanding of the user experience by the beauty and emotion of the experience. For this criterion, such standards are not responsible for any product of equal importance: While beauty is not likely to convince in a spreadsheet program alone, aesthetics is in the design of clothing may be in the foreground.

User Experience is also described in the ISO 9241-210. Here User Experience is about the perceptions and reactions of a person, resulting in the use of, or the expected use of a product, defined. These include the emotions of the user, the psychological and physiological reactions, expectations and behavior. User Experience is seen as a consequence influenced by the design, functionality and performance characteristics of a product. Likewise, knowledge and characteristics of the individual user can play a role as well as the brand perception and the context of use.

Example: measuring user experience of a website

The three criteria mentioned above can be measured. The stability or a minimal response time that is still relatively easy. However, the measurement of the other two criteria is more difficult. There are several methods available, including the eye-tracking method, in which the spontaneous perception of the website is measured by the eye movement of the user. Also, user surveys using standardized questionnaires are common, are used for this purpose, for example, the AttrakDiff or UEQ ( User Experience Questionnaire ). The problem is the detection of the user experience with single items or unvalidated ad hoc scales. User Experience is a multidimensional construct that can be detected only with difficulty through a single question. Furthermore, problems of reliability due to the high risk of measurement error in A -item scales arise. In unvalidated ad hoc scales is unclear what this measure actually, as long as no validation has taken place.

In validating the user experience in the practice questions are important as: " How quickly the user conveys meaning, concept and purpose of a website? "