User Experience in the Work Domain: A Longitudinal Field Study

Of the many concepts of user experience (UX), only a few address UX in the work domain. In addition, while most underline the dynamic nature of UX, not many studies take an explicit longitudinal approach. This article presents data about how the UX of work-related interactive systems changed over the course of 13 weeks. Specifically, we studied the change in four groups of behaviors-execute, evolve, expand and engage-which we deem important for goal achievement. We examined the impact of user attributes (playfulness, computer expertise) as well as product attributes (pragmatic quality, hedonic quality). Multilevel analysis (MLA) provided the methodological frame for the statistical analysis. Since MLA is rather uncommon in human-computer interaction, we thoroughly discuss it and clarify its advantages over repeated-measures analysis of variance. Our study verified that time is an important predictor, confirming that UX (i.e. particular goal achievement-related behaviors and the perception of product attributes) changes over time. The pattern of change differed among participants in terms of rate and direction of change, and those differences even increased over the course of our study. Product attributes influenced change considerably, while playfulness had an impact on engaging behavior in the sense that more playful participants lost interest even faster.