Using TAPT as an Analytical Method for Understanding Online Experiences

Abstract

There are various methods for understanding user experiences, but many of these focus on explicit and not implicit aspects. Teasing Apart, Piecing Together (TAPT) is a method that was developed to understand and redesign experiences, crossing web / non-web boundaries [9]. This paper presents a case study of its repurposing towards understanding online experiences more deeply, in this case considering playful location-based uses of the mobile web. The approach is to use TAPT to elicit key words from expert users, before conducting a meta-analysis of the results. This process is referred to as TAMA, Teasing Apart with Meta- Analysis. This paper describes and reflects on the TAMA process, and on the use of focus groups to conduct Teasing Apart.