Measurement of momentary user experience in an automotive context

Increased competition between manufacturers made it necessary for them to create products that provide great experiences in order to stand out from the rest of the market. For a positive product evaluation by the user, not only usability, but also user experience plays an important role. Recent research revealed that the most common method of using post-test questionnaires to assess user experience as a remembered episode could miss information about the experience [19]. This study presents a method for measuring user experience through fulfillment of psychological needs momentarily ('momentary UX') in situations instead of in a whole interaction episode. 28 participants used a novel navigation device that is designed to help explore the environment during a leisure car ride as a team together with other passengers. A story approach was used to create a context for the experimental product interaction. The results show that psychological needs relatedness and stimulation addressed by design could be measured specifically and momentarily for relevant events during the interaction. Further, a positive relationship to positive feelings in the interaction was found. Beyond that, a similar questionnaire for the whole episode is validated in this interaction and comparison between episodic and momentary UX is made. It is demonstrated that the method for measuring momentary UX is specific for needs and situations, and possible use cases are discussed.