Improving users' emotional relationships with consumer electronics through enhanced interface design

Abstract

While eager adopters of technology embrace its rapidly changing nature, many others are hesitant or actively resist using any innovative equipment unless they can see a direct benefit. All users can experience negative emotion towards technology, ranging from mild frustration to phobic reactions. These emotions are brought on by both the anxiety and fear of using technology and by poor interface design. Any human-machine interface requires consideration of all the human factors involved as well as the mechanics of the technology. Any physical, physiological and psychological constraints involved in interaction all need to be considered. Two user case studies were conducted to assess the design of myReader, a new low-vision reading aid. A pilot study was conducted primarily to gather information to assist the company in its design of the control panel of the product. However, it also provided an opportunity to test methods for the more in-depth study. This main study provided further information for the company to refine the design and quantified the benefits of the new system over the old, through performance measures of reading speed and comprehension and subjective measures such as a physical comfort rating. The main study also provided a platform to investigate areas of product design that occasion negative reactions and improve user's emotional relationship through enhanced interface design. The results of both the pilot study and the main study clearly illustrate that overall myReader offers a more pleasurable reading experience than existing closed circuit television (CCTV) technology. The user group appears to be more accepting of innovative technology when they can see it will improve their quality of life. The myReader unit takes a little longer to learn how to use than CCTVs but given the increased functionality this is not unexpected. An overall increase in reading speed was evident with myReader. However, experts had a slight but statistically insignificant decrease in reading speed, perhaps due to a negative transfer of skills. Comprehension was unaffected by the scrolling text and faster reading speeds, indicating there is no speed-accuracy trade off. The increasing reading speed over time suggests that further improvement in performance is likely with practice. Many of the physical requirements of CCTVs are reduced in myReader and participants reported less fatigue. Areas of the design that could be altered to improve the emotional relationship users have with the product are discussed. Early identification and elimination of design aspects that induce negative emotional responses can improve the emotional relationship with electronic products such as low-vision reading aids.