Characteristics of narrative textual data linked to user experiences

Abstract

While we can rely on a wide variety of techniques and methods from human and social sciences to collect narratives within human-computer interaction, the knowledge about the specific characteristics of this source and their systematic use for user experience (UX) research is limited. In this paper we argue that it is crucial to pay more attention to the specifics of narrative textual data. Building on the approaches developed by the sociologists Schütze and Flick, we emphasize the need for developing a classification of textual data, in order to provide a theoretical foundation for narrative practices in UX research. In the following, we present four different text types for structuring textual data and their relevance regarding user experiences. This paper represents an initial step towards a more systematic and theory driven perspective on narratives, supporting a structured collection and analysis of textual data in UX research.

Factory Workers' Ordinary User Experiences: An Overlooked Perspective

“…Based on our research in the semiconductor factory, we found narrative methods (as part of our long-term ethnographic research in the factory) valuable in gaining insights on nuances of ordinariness. Narrative methods representing a retrospective approach are typically applied to gather reports on specifically memorable experiences (Meneweger, Wurhofer, Obrist, Beck, & Tscheligi, 2014). Hereby, participants were encouraged to report specific experiences that are particularly relevant for them (Wright & McCarthy, 2010).…”

A Multimodal Deep Log-Based User Experience (UX) Platform for UX Evaluation

“…The main focus of the proposed platform is measuring and learning (inferencing), both implicitly and explicitly, from the subject’s usage behaviors and emotional responses. Consequently, UX research can be simplified by incorporating the human behavior research [ 5 , 62 ].…”

“…After acquiring the data, synchronization is performed based on the time stamp of the device and queued based on the event for identification of the context. In the UX domain, every event is linked with a timestamp and heavily depends on the context [ 62 ]. All attached devices and sensors send data independently (they each have an independent clock); thus, a logical clock is needed to synchronize all attached devices to the Lean UX platform.…”

Deploying Robots in a Production Environment: A Study on Temporal Transitions of Workers’ Experiences

“…The set-up of our narrative interviews was based on Meneweger and colleagues' [19] classification of textual data specifically developed for accessing user experience. Using an open structured interview guideline, the interviewer encouraged the interviewees to report their personal experiences in form of stories and situation narratives.…”