Proof of concept description
In the sixth workshop we gave our proof of concept presentation to our classmates. In it we described how we validated our product with our potential users. Based on our first MVP we formulated a short description of our product that included the benefits it would give. Users were asked if they would be interested in the product and then to explain why/why not.
Six users out of eight said they would be interested. Some of them speculated that the product might be too expensive, even though no price was mentioned in the description. However, the users were not told that this is a product for the future, so these kind of suppositions are not very surprising. Nevertheless, having the majority of the potential users interested in the product can be interpreted as evidence for the product’s feasibility.
User Experience Goals
After discussing about UX goals we agreed on three main goals that best capture the feelings we want our product to awaken in our users. However, we also decided that we will put forward some “sub-goals” as well that will help us communicate what we are trying to achieve with our main goals. The goals are not in any particular order, and they are perceived as pretty much equal in importance.
Feeling of control
The feeling of control is maybe higher level goal than the other two, because it’s not specific to this product but would probably be one of our goals regardless of the product. It is always important that user has the feeling of being in charge and not being “bossed around” by the devices or services they use. The actions should never be done without user’s permission. The product may initiate “conversation” or suggest something, but never decide on user’s behalf.
Feeling of competence
Being a sports-related product directed towards those doing sports more or less seriously, this product may not be necessary to induce the feeling of competence in the user. However, it is important that it can increase that feeling in order to be perceived by the user as giving them added value. It is notable that experiences of competence and autonomy (relates to the previously stated goal of feeling of control) contribute significantly to a person’s intrinsic motivation (Ryan & Deci 2016, 124). Therefore, these first two goals play a considerable role in developing motivation too.
Feeling of achievement
Like the previous goal this goal is also closely tied to the idea of doing sports at least somewhat seriously. In the case of our product it might even be said that inducing the feeling of the potential for achievement is more important than the feeling of achievement in itself. Of course individual goals set by the user should give user the more immediate feeling of achievement, but in addition to that the user should get the feeling of being able to achieve even more. That way, they will stay motivated and keep using our product. This will also give them feelings of satisfaction and joy.
Measuring the defined UX goals
To measure user experience goals, certain user behaviours that signal the defined goal have to be determined (Harley 2017). As noted above, the feeling of competence and the feeling of control (or autonomy) should have the effect of increased intrinsic motivation. A behaviour that could signal increased motivation is the increased number of exercises. However, to know if our product has increased user’s training frequency, we would need their training data (if available) from before they started to use our product. Asking for that data would probably be requiring too much from the user, and because it is likely that different users would have used different apps, providing some technical solution for the collection of data would possibly also be too arduous.
Fortunately, there is always the option of questionnaire. We could ask our users how often they trained before and after purchasing our product. And it wouldn’t matter if they gave us “incorrect” information, because for us the more important thing is the users’ perception of their motivation. If our product can make our users feel more motivated, that’s enough for us. Apart from asking their estimation for the training frequency before and after starting to use our product, we could of course also ask directly how motivated they feel. In this same questionnaire we could also ask the users to estimate their feelings of control, competence, and achievement and how their feelings have changed.
Analyzing long term data about training frequency could also give some indication of users’ motivation. For data collection we would of course ask for users’ consent. The reaching of goals set by the user within our app might as well be used as an indicator of the feeling of achievement, though that would clearly not be univocal evidence for having the desired feeling. Hence, a questionnaire would most likely be our best bet at measuring the UX goals.
Sources
Harley, A. (2017). Translating UX Goals into Analytics Measurement Plans. Nielsen Norman Group. Available: https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ux-goals-analytics/
Ryan, R.M. & Deci, E.L. (2017). Self-Determination Theory: Basic Psychological Needs in Motivation, Development, and Wellness. New York: The Guildford Press.
Polar Bears 