The UUXR-Framework: A Draft Classification for Using Extended Reality in Usability and User Experience Research

Abstract

Conducting human-centered evaluations in extended reality (XR) environments is a growing trend in user research and usability engineering. However, there has been little to no systematic investigation of the emerging methods in this field published to date. The motivation behind our work is to explore and classify strategies and methods for utilizing XR technologies in the context of usability and user experience (UUX) activities. This paper proposes a draft classification framework for the use of XR technologies in UUX activities, combining an informal exploration of relevant literature with established UUX methods. Within this framework, we propose 12 dimensions that we consider potentially relevant for determining whether and how the use of XR technologies can benefit product development and user research. To evaluate the structure and phrasing of our proposed dimensions, we conducted an initial evaluation with UUX professionals (N = 11). We believe that our dimensions form an early-stage foundation for future guidelines aimed at UUX researchers. The framework serves as a tool for assessing different levels of virtualization in UUX work and facilitating knowledge transfer between academia and industry.