Exploring playfulness in user experience of personal mobile products

Abstract

User experience (UX) has been under extensive research in recent years. However, current UX models do not address in detail what the users' experiences are when they are interacting with products. In our research, this question is explored by evaluating personal products in everyday use. In the study, 21 participants reported their experiences by writing experience reports over a period of ten days. These reports were analysed with a set of playful experience categories which enabled us to articulate -- i.e., to identify and name -- the core experience in each report. We found three types of experience in the reports; interaction, context and product experiences. With regards to the playfulness, the results showed that playful experience categories can largely explain the UX of personal mobile products. Our findings will help UX research and experience-driven design to focus on the most pleasurable aspects of user experiences.