Goals

SUXES is a research project carried out in the Unit of Human-Centered Technology in Tampere University of Technology, Finland. The main goal of SUXES is to build up a practice of remote user experience research to support the internationalization and competitiveness of Finnish enterprises.

During SUXES project, tools, measures and guidelines will be developed to (i) gather customer data from desired markets and (ii) to utilize this data in product development and marketing. SUXES aims at developing tools that can be used remotely and in different phases of usage. Hence, data can be collected simultaneously and cost-efficiently from several market areas of interest.

Furthermore, the goal is not just to evaluate existing user experience, but to identify the underlying factors, such as aesthetics, meanings, values, images, associations and symbolism, that cause or contribute to particular experience. By understanding the underlying factors, it is possible to find ways of improving the experience and customer satisfaction.

Methods

The user experience framework and user experience design practice will be developed in connection with literature review and case studies.

The aim of the literature review is to form a basic understanding of the concept of user experience and the different factors that influence it. The goal is to develop a conceptual model of influential factors and their relation to each other. The research project is multidisciplinary and will combine knowledge from psychology, consumer research, marketing, user-centered design, and industrial design.

Multiple case study research strategy is adopted. Each case study gathers empirical evidence that can be compared to other case study results. Case studies are conducted in close cooperation with the industrial partners, and each is planned to focus on issues of particular importance or interest for that partner. Different remote evaluation methods will be assessed experimentally in the case studies in order to come up with an appropriate set of tools to implement the user experience design practice.