Methods for eliciting user experience insights in workplace studies: spatial walkthroughs, experience curve mapping and card sorting
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2022

Purpose
Drawing on a user-centred design perspective, the purpose of this paper is to (i) provide an overview of three contextual user research methods, namely, spatial walkthroughs, experience curve mapping and card sorting, (ii) exemplify their applications in different case studies and (iii) compare the methods according to their contributions for the study of users’ workplace experiences. Previous workplace studies with qualitative approaches mainly rely on methods such as interviews and observations. Although these methods provide rich data, the understanding of office users, their use situations and finding more fitting workplace designs can benefit from deeper user experience insights.
Design/methodology/approach
Three methods and their variants were tested in studies of user experience in flexible offices: spatial walkthroughs, experience curve mapping and card sorting. The methods were tested during workshops and interviews in four case studies with a total of 114 participants.
Findings
Spatial walkthroughs were more immersive and provided the most insights on the actual context with respect to spatial design qualities, while experience curve mapping enabled understanding the temporal aspects of the user experience and card sorting enabled exploring user experiences with respect to predetermined spatial qualities and contextual aspects.
Originality/value
Spatial walkthroughs, experience curve mapping and card sorting methods have not previously been applied in workplace studies. They facilitate dialogue, participation and user involvement and provide insights for making evidence-based recommendations for designing or redesigning office environments that fit users’ needs and preferences.

User-centred workplace design

Flexible offices

Work environment

Qualitative methods

User involvement

Office evalations

Författare

Maral Babapour Chafi

Chalmers, Industri- och materialvetenskap, Design and Human Factors

Antonio Cobaleda Cordero

Chalmers, Industri- och materialvetenskap, Design and Human Factors

Journal of Corporate Real Estate

1463-001X (ISSN) 1479-1048 (eISSN)

Vol. 24 1 4-20 ahead-of-print

Drivkrafter

Hållbar utveckling

Innovation och entreprenörskap

Styrkeområden

Building Futures (2010-2018)

Hälsa och teknik

Ämneskategorier

Annan teknik

Psykologi

Ekonomi och näringsliv

DOI

10.1108/JCRE-12-2020-0069

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2022-10-04