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The user experience (UX) is an emerging field in user research and design, and the development of UX evaluation methods presents a challenge for both researchers and practitioners. Different UX evaluation methods have been developed to extract accurate UX data. Among UX evaluation methods, the mixed-method approach of triangulation has gained importance. It provides more accurate and precise information about the user while interacting with the product. However, this approach requires skilled UX researchers and developers to integrate multiple devices, synchronize them, analyze the data, and ultimately produce an informed decision. In this paper, a method and system for measuring the overall UX over time using a triangulation method are proposed. The proposed platform incorporates observational and physiological measurements in addition to traditional ones. The platform reduces the subjective bias and validates the user’s perceptions, which are measured by different sensors through objectification of the subjective nature of the user in the UX assessment. The platform additionally offers plug-and-play support for different devices and powerful analytics for obtaining insight on the UX in terms of multiple participants.

PurposeAlthough the short-video-based application TikTok and its AI-enhanced technology have achieved enormous success and reshaped the user experience, few studies have focused on the user experience in the TikTok context. This study adopts a technology affordance theory lens to identify the main mechanisms contributing to the user experience in the short-video platform context while including user experience level and video length as moderating effects.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected 401 valid questionnaires from TikTok users and used the structural equation modeling approach to examine the proposed research model.FindingsThree technology affordances (perceived effortlessness, perceived recommendation accuracy, and perceived recommendation serendipity) contribute to TikTok users' optimal flow experience. Multi-group analysis results further indicate that individuals react differently to the same stimuli as their experience level increases. Finally, video length critically influences the impact of technology affordances on users' cognitive responses.Originality/valueAs a burgeoning industry, the mechanisms enabling short-video platforms to engage users remain unclear to practitioners and researchers. Thus, this study's technology affordance lens provides necessary insights into how TikTok's innovative and advanced technologies contribute to user flow experience from a context-dependent perspective. Furthermore, given that most existing studies have neglected possible variations in user preferences when investigating the effects of technology, this study enriches the existing literature by employing user experience level and video length as moderators.

Research on recommender systems typically focuses on the accuracy of prediction algorithms. Because accuracy only partially constitutes the user experience of a recommender system, this paper proposes a framework that takes a user-centric approach to recommender system evaluation. The framework links objective system aspects to objective user behavior through a series of perceptual and evaluative constructs (called subjective system aspects and experience, respectively). Furthermore, it incorporates the influence of personal and situational characteristics on the user experience. This paper reviews how current literature maps to the framework and identifies several gaps in existing work. Consequently, the framework is validated with four field trials and two controlled experiments and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. The results of these studies show that subjective system aspects and experience variables are invaluable in explaining why and how the user experience of recommender systems comes about . In all studies we observe that perceptions of recommendation quality and/or variety are important mediators in predicting the effects of objective system aspects on the three components of user experience: process (e.g. perceived effort, difficulty), system (e.g. perceived system effectiveness) and outcome (e.g. choice satisfaction). Furthermore, we find that these subjective aspects have strong and sometimes interesting behavioral correlates (e.g. reduced browsing indicates higher system effectiveness). They also show several tradeoffs between system aspects and personal and situational characteristics (e.g. the amount of preference feedback users provide is a tradeoff between perceived system usefulness and privacy concerns). These results, as well as the validated framework itself, provide a platform for future research on the user-centric evaluation of recommender systems.

PurposeThis paper examines in detail how the use of storytelling with parallax technology can influence the user experience (UX) in online shops as well as brand- and behavior-relevant variables. Furthermore, this study analyzes the causal relationships between UX, brand attitudes and brand-related behavioral intentions in terms of purchase intention and price premiums. Explicit and implicit paths of human information processing are considered.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 266 respondents completed a web-based experiment under two conditions (text-based vs parallax storytelling online shop). An existing and operational online shop was used. The causal relationships were assessed by using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). To measure implicit information processing, a single category implicit association test was applied.FindingsBy applying the storytelling technique with parallax scrolling, the online shop increased visitors' UX on explicit and implicit information processing levels and increased the online shop's overall perceived attractiveness. Storytelling with parallax motion enables an efficient transmission of brand-related associations to consumers' minds, enhances their explicit and implicit brand attitudes and increases their willingness to pay a higher price. Moreover, this study provides empirical evidence on the effects of UX on brand-related measures by applying PLS-SEM and thus reveals a causal chain of effects from UX on online shop attractiveness, brand attitude and behavioral intentions. Again, explicit and implicit perceptions were considered.Originality/valueScience and practice are increasingly emphasizing that storytelling emotionalizes content, which facilitates effective communication and builds strong relationships with customers. Little evidence exists about its efficient implementation in an online shopping context and in fulfilling hedonic and pragmatic needs throughout the online journey. This study provides novel insights into managing online shoppers' UX, brand-related perceptions and behavioral intentions with the optimal use of techniques to implement storytelling. Furthermore, this is one of the first studies to holistically consider the human perception of online shops by drawing on theories and methods of psychology, marketing, consumer behavior, brand research and consumer neuroscience and considering explicit and implicit information processing in terms of hedonic and pragmatic UX and brand-related measures.

The growing attention towards immersive technologies such as augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), mixed reality (MR), extended reality (XR), and the metaverse are revolutionizing cultural heritage education and tourism. Such technologies offer immersive and interactive experiences that transform the user’s exploration of museums, cultural heritage sites, educational content, and historical landmarks. This article presents a structured framework that addresses the advancement and application of these technologies in cultural heritage education to improve user experience, learning, emotional connection, and motivation. To further explore recent trends, issues, and opportunities, the article offers a comprehensive overview of the impact of state-of-the-art immersive technology on user experience within heritage education environments . The study also outlined standard questionnaires and effective methodologies for user experience evaluations. Furthermore, the article addresses the influence of standards and guidelines recommended by standardized bodies and organizations on XR and metaverse applications. It discussed how these standards and recommendations can play a role in setting protocols that shape the development of immersive heritage education environments. Finally, we introduce an architecture model for XR and metaverse applications that can assess developers, researchers, and stakeholders to enable immersive and interactive educational experiences, bridging geographical and physical barriers. This research is intended to help academic and industry stakeholders understand the integration of digital heritage preservation tools and user experience standards critical to advancing educational engagement in cultural heritage.

Abstract First insights on the human gut microbiome have been gained from medium-sized, cross-sectional studies. However, given the modest portion of explained variance of currently identified covariates and the small effect size of gut microbiota modulation strategies, upscaling seems essential for further discovery and characterisation of the multiple influencing factors and their relative contribution. In order to guide future research projects and standardisation efforts, we here review currently applied collection and preservation methods for gut microbiome research. We discuss aspects such as sample quality, applicable omics techniques, user experience and time and cost efficiency. In addition, we evaluate the protocols of a large-scale microbiome cohort initiative, the Flemish Gut Flora Project, to give an idea of perspectives, and pitfalls of large-scale faecal sampling studies. Although cryopreservation can be regarded as the gold standard, freezing protocols generally require more resources due to cold chain management. However, here we show that much can be gained from an optimised transport chain and sample aliquoting before freezing. Other protocols can be useful as long as they preserve the microbial signature of a sample such that relevant conclusions can be drawn regarding the research question, and the obtained data are stable and reproducible over time. The authors review currently applied collection and preservation methods for gut microbiome research, discussing aspects such as sample quality, applicable omics techniques, user experience and time and cost-efficiency, and evaluate the protocols of the Flemish Gut Flora Project, a large-scale gut microbiome sampling effort in Belgium, to give an idea of perspectives, and pitfalls of population-wide studies implementing faecal sampling for gut microbiome research.

Aging is a condition that may be characterized by a decline in physical, sensory, and mental capacities, while increased morbidity and multimorbidity may be associated with disability. A wide range of clinical conditions (e.g., frailty, mild cognitive impairment, metabolic syndrome) and age-related diseases (e.g., Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, cancer, sarcopenia, cardiovascular and respiratory diseases) affect older people. Virtual reality (VR) is a novel and promising tool for assessment and rehabilitation in older people. Usability is a crucial factor that must be considered when designing virtual systems for medicine. We conducted a systematic review with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines concerning the usability of VR clinical systems in aging and provided suggestions to structure usability piloting. Findings show that different populations of older people have been recruited to mainly assess usability of non-immersive VR, with particular attention paid to motor/physical rehabilitation. Mixed approach (qualitative and quantitative tools together) is the preferred methodology; technology acceptance models are the most applied theoretical frameworks, however senior adapted models are the best within this context. Despite minor interaction issues and bugs, virtual systems are rated as usable and feasible. We encourage usability and user experience pilot studies to ameliorate interaction and improve acceptance and use of VR clinical applications in older people with the aid of suggestions (VR-USOP) provided by our analysis.

The recent advancements in mobile technologies have enabled the widespread adoption of augmented reality (AR) to enrich cultural heritage (CH) digital experiences. Mobile AR leverages visual recognition capabilities and sensor data to superimpose digital elements into the user’s view of their surroundings. The pervasive nature of AR serves several purposes in CH: visitor guidance, 3D reconstruction, educational experiences, and mobile location-based games. While most literature reviews on AR in CH focus on technological aspects such as tracking algorithms and software frameworks, there has been little exploration of the expressive affordances of AR for the delivery of meaningful interactions. This paper (based on the PRISMA guidelines) considers 64 selected publications, published from 2016 to 2023, that present mobile AR applications in CH, with the aim of identifying and analyzing the (mobile) AR (interaction) design patterns that have so far been discussed sporadically in the literature. We identify sixteen (16) main UX design patterns, as well as eight (8) patterns with a single occurrence in the paper corpus, that have been employed—sometimes in combination—to address recurring design problems or contexts, e.g., user navigation, representing the past, uncovering hidden elements, etc. We analyze each AR design pattern by providing a title, a working definition, principal use cases, and abstract illustrations that indicate the main concept and its workings (where applicable) and explanation with respect to examples from the paper corpus. We discuss the AR design patterns in terms of a few broader design and development concerns, including the AR recognition approach, content production and development requirements, and affordances for storytelling, as well as possible contexts and experiences, including indoor/outdoor settings, location-based experiences, mobile guides, and mobile games. We envisage that this work will thoroughly inform AR designers and developers abot the current state of the art and the possibilities and affordances of mobile AR design patterns with respect to particular CH contexts.

Industry 4.0 has ushered in a new era of process automation, thus redefining the role of people and altering existing workplaces into unknown formats. The number of robots in the manufacturing industry has been steadily increasing for several decades and in recent years the number and variety of industries using robots have also increased. For robots to become allies in the day-to-day lives of operators, they need to provide positive and fit-for-purpose experiences through smooth and satisfying interactions. In this sense, user experience (UX) serves as the greatest link between persons and robots. Essential to the study of UX is its evaluation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to identify methodologies that evaluate the human–robot interaction (HRI) from a human-centred approach. A systematic literature review has been carried out, in which 24 articles have been identified. Among these, are 15 experimental studies, in addition to theoretical frameworks and tools. The review has provided insight into how evaluations are conducted in HRI. The results show the most evaluated factors and how they are measured considering different types of measurements: qualitative and quantitative, objective and subjective. Research gaps and future directions are correspondingly identified.

A recommender system is a Web technology that proactively suggests items of interest to users based on their objective behavior or explicitly stated preferences. Evaluations of recommender systems (RS) have traditionally focused on the performance of algorithms. However, many researchers have recently started investigating system effectiveness and evaluation criteria from users’ perspectives. In this paper, we survey the state of the art of user experience research in RS by examining how researchers have evaluated design methods that augment RS’s ability to help users find the information or product that they truly prefer, interact with ease with the system, and form trust with RS through system transparency, control and privacy preserving mechanisms finally, we examine how these system design features influence users’ adoption of the technology. We summarize existing work concerning three crucial interaction activities between the user and the system: the initial preference elicitation process, the preference refinement process, and the presentation of the system’s recommendation results. Additionally, we will also cover recent evaluation frameworks that measure a recommender system’s overall perceptive qualities and how these qualities influence users’ behavioral intentions. The key results are summarized in a set of design guidelines that can provide useful suggestions to scholars and practitioners concerning the design and development of effective recommender systems. The survey also lays groundwork for researchers to pursue future topics that have not been covered by existing methods.