“I Enjoyed That This Much!” Techniques for Measuring Usability in Leisure-Oriented Applications

Abstract

Usability evaluation traditionally places a special emphasis on the need to develop software that is usable, Le. used by “specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency and satisfaction in a specified context of use” (ISO 9241, part 11). But what exactly does it mean to “achieve a goal” in the context of software applications for art, entertainment and leisure? Most activities in these contexts are not guided by a predefined objective based on user intention, instead, the leisure experience is a case in which individuals frequently “adjust” the way they interact with the environment, depending on many different and context-dependent factors. This chapter describes an approach to leisure-oriented usability evaluation developed around a handheld electronic museum tour guide, part of the Hyper Interaction within Physical Space (HIPS) project. It suggests that emotion, culture and context are important influences on perceived usability, and suggests how to apply these to usability away from the work environment.