Fun and Pleasure in Interactive Technology

• Author / Creator

  Boyd, Brandon R.

• This thesis explores some of the qualities that make an interactive product enjoyable to use. Four categories of enjoyment attributes are discussed: challenge, curiosity, people & characters, and sensory appeal. These categories are explored through a prototype that was tested in a user study, and are discussed in relation to relevant theory, empirical studies, and product examples. The responses from participants in the user study suggest that the novel controller interface (i.e., the Critter Controller) enhanced the fun of the prototype game because it added challenge, curiosity, and sensory appeal to the game, and because it related to the character featured in the game. More generally, interaction designers can leverage these four categories to enhance the fun and pleasure of using an interactive product. Finally, this thesis considers fun and relaxation as two separable types of enjoyment that one can potentially experience when using a product.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Interactive toys
  • Interaction design
  • User experience
  • Interactive
  • User interface
  • Video games
  • Fun

• Graduation date

  Fall 2013

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Arts

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3PD87

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.