Explore the Impact of Consumer Perception Product Attributes on the Household Appliance User Experience Based on Usability Testing

The effectiveness of any biomedical prevention technology relies on both biological efficacy and behavioraladherence. Microbicide trials have been hampered by low adherence, limiting the ability to draw meaningfulconclusions about product effectiveness. Central to this problem may be an inadequate conceptualization of howproduct properties themselves impact user experience and adherence. Our goal is to expand the current microbicidedevelopment framework to include product ‘‘perceptibility,’’ the objective measurement of user sensoryperceptions (i.e., sensations) and experiences of formulation performance during use. For vaginal gels, a setof biophysical properties, including rheological properties and measures of spreading and retention, may criticallyimpact user experiences. Project LINK sought to characterize the user experience in this regard, and tovalidate measures of user sensory perceptions and experiences (USPEs) using four prototype topical vaginal gelformulations designed for pericoital use. Perceptibility scales captured a range of USPEs during the productapplication process (five scales), ambulation after product insertion (six scales), and during sexual activity (eightscales). Comparative statistical analyses provided empirical support for hypothesized relationships between gelproperties, spreading performance, and the user experience. Project LINK provides preliminary evidence for theutility of evaluating USPEs, introducing a paradigm shift in the field of microbicide formulation design. Wepropose that these user sensory perceptions and experiences initiate cognitive processes in users resulting inproduct choice and willingness-to-use. By understanding the impact of USPEs on that process, formulationdevelopment can optimize both drug delivery and adherence.

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User Experience of Green Building Certification Resources: EarthCraft Multifamily

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13147871 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (14) ◽

pp. 7871

Author(s):

Dwayne Jefferson ◽

Frederick Paige ◽

Philip Agee ◽

France Jackson

Keyword(s):

User Experience ◽

Affordable Housing ◽

Green Building ◽

Interview Data ◽

Project Delivery ◽

Heuristic Evaluation ◽

Sustainable Infrastructure ◽

Evaluation Data ◽

Environmentally Responsible ◽

The Impact

To improve the construction industry’s capacity to deliver sustainable infrastructure, guidance on delivering green building systems needs to be more usable. Green buildings have certifications and ratings in place that ensure that projects are environmentally responsible and meet standards in resource efficiency. EarthCraft Multifamily (ECMF), an evolving green building certification, has been successful in increasing the delivery of energy-efficient affordable housing, and this study leverages user experience (UX) methodologies to understand how to further improve ECMF and replicate its success. This study identifies the impact ECMF tools and resources, such as the program manual, worksheet, and technical guidelines, have on enhancing project delivery for architects. This study conducted data analysis on project specifications, heuristic evaluation data, and stakeholder interview data. As the strengths and weaknesses of ECMF were identified, knowledge on the usability of the green building certification program was unveiled. Heuristic evaluations data show that accessibility and usability issues are present in ECMF resources. Interview data show that architects’ experiences with ECMF resources were affected by some of the usability issues identified in the heuristic evaluation data. Coded interview transcripts show the most prominent participant-identified improvements represented within the data. Resources need appropriate visual representation such as readability and hierarchy to improve their usability. Understanding how ECMF resources are utilized during project delivery allows for the appropriate content and options to be strategically framed to improve accessibility and enhance user decision making. ECMF resources can allow for the inclusion of a broader set of stakeholders by lowering the level of expertise required for sustainable infrastructure delivery.

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Impact of flavours, device, nicotine levels and price on adult e-cigarette users’ tobacco and nicotine product choices

Tobacco Control ◽

10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2021-056599 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. tobaccocontrol-2021-056599

Author(s):

Yong Yang ◽

Eric N. Lindblom ◽

Ramzi G. Salloum ◽

Kenneth D. Ward

Keyword(s):

Open System ◽

Closed System ◽

Smoking Status ◽

Discrete Choice Experiments ◽

User Characteristics ◽

Product Attributes ◽

Product Choices ◽

Nicotine Level ◽

The Difference ◽

The Impact

IntroductionTo understand the impact of e-cigarette devices, flavours, nicotine levels and prices on adult e-cigarette users’ choices among closed-system and open-system e-cigarettes, cigarettes and heated tobacco products (HTPs).MethodsOnline discrete choice experiments were conducted among adult (≥18 years) e-cigarette users (n=2642) in August 2020. Conditional logit regressions were used to assess the relative impact of product attributes and the interactions between product attributes and user characteristics, with stratified analyses to examine differences by smoking status and primarily used e-cigarette device and flavour.ResultsOn average, participants preferred non-tobacco and non-menthol flavours most, preferred open-system over closed-system e-cigarettes and preferred regular nicotine level over low nicotine level. However, the preference varied by demographics, smoking status and the primarily used e-cigarette device and flavour. The differences in preference among products/devices were larger than the difference among flavours or nicotine levels. Participants who primarily used closed-system e-cigarettes exhibited similar preferences for closed-system and open-system e-cigarettes, but those who primarily used open-system e-cigarettes preferred much more open-system over closed-system e-cigarettes. HTP was the least preferred product, much lower than cigarettes in general, but participants living in states where IQOS is being sold had similar preferences to cigarettes and HTPs.ConclusionsPeople are unlikely to switch to another product/device because of the restriction of flavour or nicotine level. If non-tobacco and non-menthol flavours were banned from open-system e-cigarettes, users may switch to menthol flavour e-cigarettes. Intervention strategies should be tailored to specific groups.

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Evaluating the impact of proactivity in the user experience of a context-aware restaurant recommender for Android smartphones

Journal of Systems Architecture ◽

10.1016/j.sysarc.2013.02.004 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 59 (9) ◽

pp. 748-758 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Daniel Gallego ◽

Wolfgang Woerndl ◽

Gabriel Huecas

Keyword(s):

User Experience ◽

Context Aware ◽

The Impact

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Improving User Experience of Virtual Health Assistants: Scoping Review

Journal of Medical Internet Research ◽

10.2196/31737 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 23 (12) ◽

pp. e31737

Author(s):

Rachel G Curtis ◽

Bethany Bartel ◽

Ty Ferguson ◽

Henry T Blake ◽

Celine Northcott ◽

...

Keyword(s):

User Experience ◽

Experimental Research ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Sufficient Evidence ◽

Health Domains ◽

Relational Behavior ◽

Design Characteristics ◽

Health Assistant ◽

The Look ◽

The Impact

Background Virtual assistants can be used to deliver innovative health programs that provide appealing, personalized, and convenient health advice and support at scale and low cost. Design characteristics that influence the look and feel of the virtual assistant, such as visual appearance or language features, may significantly influence users’ experience and engagement with the assistant. Objective This scoping review aims to provide an overview of the experimental research examining how design characteristics of virtual health assistants affect user experience, summarize research findings of experimental research examining how design characteristics of virtual health assistants affect user experience, and provide recommendations for the design of virtual health assistants if sufficient evidence exists. Methods We searched 5 electronic databases (Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, and ACM Digital Library) to identify the studies that used an experimental design to compare the effects of design characteristics between 2 or more versions of an interactive virtual health assistant on user experience among adults. Data were synthesized descriptively. Health domains, design characteristics, and outcomes were categorized, and descriptive statistics were used to summarize the body of research. Results for each study were categorized as positive, negative, or no effect, and a matrix of the design characteristics and outcome categories was constructed to summarize the findings. Results The database searches identified 6879 articles after the removal of duplicates. We included 48 articles representing 45 unique studies in the review. The most common health domains were mental health and physical activity. Studies most commonly examined design characteristics in the categories of visual design or conversational style and relational behavior and assessed outcomes in the categories of personality, satisfaction, relationship, or use intention. Over half of the design characteristics were examined by only 1 study. Results suggest that empathy and relational behavior and self-disclosure are related to more positive user experience. Results also suggest that if a human-like avatar is used, realistic rendering and medical attire may potentially be related to more positive user experience; however, more research is needed to confirm this. Conclusions There is a growing body of scientific evidence examining the impact of virtual health assistants’ design characteristics on user experience. Taken together, data suggest that the look and feel of a virtual health assistant does affect user experience. Virtual health assistants that show empathy, display nonverbal relational behaviors, and disclose personal information about themselves achieve better user experience. At present, the evidence base is broad, and the studies are typically small in scale and highly heterogeneous. Further research, particularly using longitudinal research designs with repeated user interactions, is needed to inform the optimal design of virtual health assistants.

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Developing fit-for-purpose self-report instruments for assessing consumer responses to tobacco and nicotine products: the ABOUT™ Toolbox initiative

F1000Research ◽

10.12688/f1000research.16810.1 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 7 ◽

pp. 1878 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Christelle Chrea ◽

Catherine Acquadro ◽

Esther F. Afolalu ◽

Erica Spies ◽

Thomas Salzberger ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Public Health ◽

Wide Spectrum ◽

Medical Product ◽

Consumer Perception ◽

Self Report ◽

Measurement Instruments ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Fit For Purpose ◽

And Behavior ◽

The Impact

Background. Determining the public health impact of tobacco harm reduction strategies requires the assessment of consumer perception and behavior associated with tobacco and nicotine products (TNPs) with different exposure and risk profiles. In this context, rigorous methods to develop and validate psychometrically sound self-report instruments to measure consumers’ responses to TNPs are needed. Methods. Consistent with best practice guidelines, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s “Guidance for Industry Patient-Reported Outcome Measures: Use in Medical Product Development to Support Labeling Claims,” scientifically designed, fit-for-purpose, reliable, and valid instruments are now being applied to tobacco regulatory research. Results. This brief report presents the ABOUT™ Toolbox (Assessment of Behavioral OUtcomes related to Tobacco and nicotine products) initiative. This communication: (1) describes the methodological steps followed for the development and validation of the measurement instruments included in the ABOUT™ Toolbox, (2) presents a summary of the high-priority tobacco-related domains that are currently covered in the ABOUT™ Toolbox (i.e., risk perception, dependence, product experience, health and functioning, and use history), and (3) details how the measurement instruments are made accessible to the scientific community. Conclusions. By making the ABOUT™ Toolbox available to the tobacco research and public health community, we envision a rapidly expanding knowledge base, with the goals of (1) supporting consumer perception and behavior research to allow comparisons across a wide spectrum of TNPs, (2) enabling public health and regulatory communities to make better-informed decisions for future regulation of TNPs, and (3) enhancing surveillance activities associated with the impact of TNPs on population health.

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Depressive symptoms and web user experience

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.4439 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

pp. e4439 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Meinald T. Thielsch ◽

Carolin Thielsch

Keyword(s):

Depressive Symptoms ◽

Mental Disorders ◽

User Experience ◽

Structural Equation ◽

Drop Out ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Subjective Perception ◽

Depression Severity ◽

Symptoms Of Depression ◽

The Impact

Background Depression, as one of the most prevalent mental disorders, is expected to become a leading cause of disability. While evidence-based treatments are not always easily accessible, Internet-based information and self-help appears as a promising approach to improve the strained supply situation by avoiding barriers of traditional offline treatment. User experience in the domain of mental problems therefore emerges as an important research topic. The aim of our study is to investigate the impact of depressive symptoms on subjective and objective measures of web user experience. Method In this two-part online study (Ntotal = 721) we investigate the relationship between depressive symptoms of web users and basic website characteristics (i.e., content, subjective and objective usability, aesthetics). Participants completed search and memory tasks on different fully-functional websites. In addition, they were asked to evaluate the given websites with standardized measures and were screened for symptoms of depression using the PHQ-9. We used structural equation modeling (SEM) to determine whether depression severity affects users’ perception of and performance in using information websites. Results We found significant associations between depressive symptoms and subjective user experience, specifically of website content, usability, and aesthetics, as well as an effect of content perception on the overall appraisal of a website in terms of the intention to visit it again. Small yet significant negative effects of depression severity on all named subjective website evaluations were revealed, leading to an indirect negative effect on the intention to revisit a website via impaired content perceptions. However, objective task performance was not influenced by depressiveness of users. Discussion Depression emerges as capable of altering the subjective perception of a website to some extend with respect to the main features content, usability, and aesthetics. The user experience of a website is crucial, especially as it facilitates revisiting a website and thus might be relevant in avoiding drop-out in online interventions. Thus, the biased impression of persons affected by symptoms of depression and resulting needs of those users should be considered when designing and evaluating E-(Mental)-Health-platforms. The high prevalence of some mental disorders such as depression in the general population stresses the need for further investigations of the found effects.

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