The core idea here is to tap into user emotions that are tied to elements on a web page. I'm not talking about opinions, I'm talking about the emotional connection that people have to things on a page.

I'll explain more about this later. Right now, I'm curious about what you think. Do you think it is it possible to test user emotions? Do you think it is useful data? How would you use this data if you had it?

Posted by: John S. Rhodes on June 13, 2002 07:09 AM

 

User emotions:
Potential for lots of variation, both between people and for the same person at different points in time.

Variation between people - different people see the same page, and react differently.

Variation for the same person - reactions can vary according to time of day, venue (home vs. work), and what other tasks are being performed.

That said, it's possible to define a desired emotional response and include design elements that support the target response. Print ads, TV, and movies do this all the time. The same cues should have applicability to the web. Movies are reportedly shown to test audiences, and then the audience is surveyed, to determine if the movie produced the desired reaction.

Posted by: mcw on June 13, 2002 09:19 AM

 

I always thought it was good to use users as an indication of what might be wrong, but never what IS wrong. Having users design for you is not a good thing......they, a lot of the time do not know what they want.

I would think defining emotional state is even harder as external factors play a significant role in determining an emotional state - independent of what you are trying to gauge...BUT if you could do it scientifically....that would be extremely useful.

Posted by: JB on June 13, 2002 11:57 AM

 

I think a lot of it has to do with the early publicity that the Web was going to be this grand entertainment experience, which it can be in some circumstances. But for the most part it is a giant library of information.

When I sit down in front of the TV in the fall to watch a good college football game, I'm looking to be entertained by the action and suspense of the game, not the statistics. If I am in front of a browser, I seek information about the game (score, stats, injuries, etc.) It's the same event, but the emotion is different.

I'm redesigning an intranet home page and when I sent it to testers, I received different feedback on the same thing. A guy in a power plant was so thankful that the navigation was clearly defined and easy to use and clean. A person in marketing liked the ease of use, but critiqued the "blandness and straightforwardness" of the same page. The home page is a tool, not an advertisement (though it does have branding), so the emotional experience can vary widely.

Posted by: Darin on June 13, 2002 02:33 PM

 

John, just wondering, did you see the looks on people's faces when they were surfing through a website you were consulting for? Could this provide some evidence to test user emotions? Unless I have completely the wrong idea...

Posted by: Matt Rhodes on June 13, 2002 03:16 PM

 

Your research sucks.

Posted by: RUFUS on June 13, 2002 04:06 PM

 

And there goes the neighborhood :(

Posted by: JB on June 13, 2002 04:59 PM

 

RUFUS, you have not seen our research therefore your comments about it "sucking" don't really apply. You might say that the methodology described in the article "sucks" but I would argue that you would need to understand the entire research process to make a judgment about its quality.

By the way, I do appreciate the posting. I followed the link to bumfights.com and found it somewhat humorous.

Posted by: John S. Rhodes on June 13, 2002 05:05 PM

 

Rufus, your site sucks. If it's yours.

Posted by: Matt Rhodes on June 13, 2002 08:09 PM