Pleasure based approach
Summary
In addition to usability based approaches to evaluate whether
or not a product fulfils user needs it is also possible to
evaluate the pleasure of the product. This is a new set of
approaches and to some extent goes beyond traditional usability
testing.
Benefits
These approaches can be considered as being another layer
on top of product usability. The layers in summary are:
- that the product actually is functioning,
- that it is tested for usability (expert, lab test, subjective);
- that the product gives the user pleasure. This approach
should not be used instead of usability activities it should
be used in addition and to complement usability activities
to gain further knowledge about the product.
The suggestion from the pleasure based approach is that usability
based approaches tend to be merely problem solving instead
of increasing the market value of the product. The general
idea then is that a more holistic approach on about the relationship
between the user and the machine will give added value to
user's pleasure with the product and thus increasing product
sales.
Since this is a new approach it is not without childhood
diseases. One of the greatest challenges in the field is to
find out how to actually evaluate pleasure.
Method
There are a couple of ways proposed to evaluate pleasure,
involving user testing, and questionnaires.
User testing
Since almost by definition, pleasure-based evaluation is
not task-orientated like traditional usability testing and
indeed nearer to market testing, some differences of emphasis
need to be kept in mind when doing testing for pleasure:
- Amount of task structure. It is typical for usability
testers to think in terms of 'tasks' or 'activities' with
a computer product. However, our concept of pleasure is
something that stands in opposition to work, so that emphasising
the task-like or goal-orientated nature of the activities
to be undertaken during evaluation may well nullify the
very aspect of the experience one is interested in measuring.
- Test personnel. Whereas in usability testing the evaluators
ought to keep a psychological distance from the participants
in order to objectively record the data arising from the
user's experience and activities, in pleasure-based testing
this may be an unproductive approach, since the clinical
detachment required on the part of the tester may well dampen
the 'fun' or 'exciting' aspects of the experience for the
participant.
- Methods of gathering data. Usability testing uses such
measures as time on task, number of errors, subjective opinion,
completeness of the work output. These of course are entirely
inappropriate to measuring pleasure. Pleasure may be measured
using an attitude questionnaire, as for instance in the
work of Jordan cited elsewhere on this page, but more novel
approaches to capturing the pleasure experience are urgently
required, as for instance, asking a pair of users to record
a short video film of their experiences with the product.
Questionnaires
There are different types of questionnaires that can be used
to evaluate usability of a product. For pleasurability reasons
they are not entirely suited. To date there are at least one
questionnaire that may be used for the evaluation of pleasure:
Pleasure with products, a general index, a questionnaire
that is presented by Patrick W. Jordan in his book Designing
Pleasurable Products: an introduction to the new human factors
(see reference below). This questionnaire measures 'general'
pleasurability. According to the author it is thoroughly validated
and has a history of usage within product development. If
you intend to use this questionnaire, make sure that you get
the author's consent.
You may also want to develop your own questionnaire, if you
do that make sure that you learn lessons from questionnaire
development (for further reference on how to write your own
questionnaire, see 
SUMI Background).
More Information
Books
Jordan, Patrick W. (2000) Designing pleasurable products:
an introduction to the new human factors, Taylor & Francis
Books Ltd, UK.
Web sites
Affective
human factors design, 2001 a recent conference held in
Singapore.
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