Why do I like it?: investigating the product-specificity of user experience

Abstract

The concept of user experience (UX) has had a warm welcome in the research community since its introduction almost two decades ago. Still, there is no consensus on a unified definition of the concept nor is there agreement on how to best measure UX. In this paper, we argue that UX is context-dependent and most of all product-dependent in its nature. Accordingly, using the CUE model by Mahlke and Thüring [26], we hypothesized that the impact of perceived product attributes and emotional reactions on UX vary among different product types. We report on a study that showed these specific differences in the composition and impact of UX components, depending on product type. The outcome of the study lays ground for a product specific understanding and assessment of UX.