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UX Curve: A Method for Evaluating Long-Term User Experience

Introduction​

This paper introduces the "UX Curve," a method designed to evaluate user experience over extended periods, capturing how interactions and satisfaction evolve with continued use. Kujala et al. developed this tool to help users retrospectively map their experience trajectory with a product, identifying factors that lead to satisfaction, improvement, or dissatisfaction. Using a sample of mobile phone users, the study demonstrates the UX Curve's potential for gathering insightful, qualitative data on long-term UX trends and their impact on loyalty.

Target​

This method is particularly relevant for UX researchers, product designers, and evaluators interested in long-term user engagement and satisfaction, applicable to consumer products like smartphones and other frequently used devices.

Key Insights​

  • Longitudinal Experience Tracking:
    • The UX Curve enables users to visualize and articulate changes in their relationship with a product over time, focusing on factors like enjoyment, usability, and value.
    • Unlike traditional UX evaluation, the method focuses on long-term experience rather than initial interaction.
  • Evolving User Perceptions:
    • Experiences typically shift from initial enthusiasm to more stable satisfaction or dissatisfaction based on product reliability, functionality, and personal attachment.
    • Users reported that factors such as usability improvements, familiarity, and social perception influenced their satisfaction curve.
  • Correlations with User Loyalty:
    • Positive trends on the UX Curve, particularly in perceived attractiveness, strongly correlate with satisfaction and the likelihood of recommending the product, highlighting attractiveness as a driver for customer loyalty.

Supporting Data​

  • Qualitative Data: Through interviews with 20 mobile phone users, participants recorded their experiences with curves that tracked attractiveness, ease of use, utility, and usage volume. Analysis revealed patterns where sustained product appeal led to higher satisfaction.
  • Quantitative Analysis: Attractiveness curves that trended positively were statistically associated with higher satisfaction and recommendations, validating the method's effectiveness in identifying key satisfaction drivers over time.

Other Insights​

  • Memory and Experience Recall: By mapping their experiences, users reconstructed significant events that shaped their opinions, with peak moments and "happy endings" in experiences often impacting overall satisfaction.
  • User Experience Personalization: Different users recorded varied experiences for the same product, reflecting personal needs and usage contexts, suggesting that UX evaluations should consider individual user traits and contexts.

Practical Applications​

  • Use UX Curves in Product Feedback Loops: Incorporate UX Curves in feedback sessions to capture user satisfaction trends and influential experiences, helping designers understand what maintains or erodes satisfaction over time.
  • Guide Long-Term UX Design: Use insights from UX Curves to focus on sustaining product attractiveness and usability improvements that align with long-term user expectations.
  • Enhance Product Evaluation with Retrospective UX Tools: Consider UX Curve as part of post-launch evaluations to identify features that contribute to positive long-term experience and loyalty.

Reference​

Kujala, S., Roto, V., Väänänen-Vainio-Mattila, K., Karapanos, E., & Sinnelä, A. 2011. UX Curve: A Method for Evaluating Long-Term User Experience. Interacting with Computers.