Learn more about how emotions have been measured in the past and how new tools for measuring them are shaping the UX of the future. Designing bleeding edge experiences increasingly means creating products that are cued not only to user needs and expectations, but also to user emotional states. As technology is drawing closer to us physically (sensors) and entering our homes in the form of IoT, it’s important to understand the emotional impact of a interaction. The purpose of this panel is to share where we, as UX professionals, are in this precise moment. What is it possible to measure? Is it worth the set up and expense of new equipment? What can physiological data give researchers that we don't already know? This panel will answer your questions about how these tools work and help you think about whether they can work for you.

1. Beyond Words: Use Biometrics to
Measure Emotion in User Research
Ariel Duncan, Andrew Schall, Robert Christopherson,
Ping Du, Jeffrey Wong

2. Intro

3. Why this panel?

4. 4
Eye Tracking is critical for any
emotional analysis. Eye tracking
can tell us:
Time & Location
• Where they looked
• When they looked
Engagement Level
• How long they looked
• How frequently they looked
TELLS YOU WHAT BUT NOT
WHY
Eye Tracking

5. 5
Brain Activity (EEG)
Electroencephalography is a
way to measure brain activity
with sensors on the head.
Brainwaves can be interpreted
to understand core emotions:
• Happiness/Sadness
• Excitement/Boredom
• Frustration/Relaxation

6. 6
The sensor measures small changes in
user’s skin conductance (GSR). These
sweat gland changes are directly
related to the Sympathetic Nervous
System activation, also known as the
fight or flight response.
Skin Conductivity (GSR or EDA)

7. 7
Facial expression recognition uses a simple
webcam and software to identify facial
expressions people display.
It can detect a wide range of emotions:
• Happiness
• Sadness
• Angry
• Frustration
• Confusion
Facial Analysis

8. Electromyography (EMG)

9. What can physiological data give
us that is new?

10. How does biometric data
complement qualitative data?

11. How can biometrics improve or
streamline the way we present
user data to clients and
stakeholders?

12. A Case Study
Booking flights

13. Case Study on Airline Websites
Hardware Used: Laptop + Tobii
X2-30 Eye Tracker + Webcam
Software Used: iMotions
Website B Website N Website S
Group 1 Participants Group 2 Participants Group 3 Participants

14. Case Study on Airline Websites
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15. Case Study on Airline Websites
Website B Website N Website S
Flight Search Box
Metric for comparison: Number of occurrences of
frustration expressions
Do the flight search boxes of the three websites have
any differences in terms of their usability?
Flight
Search
Box
Flight
Search
Box

16. Broader Applications
Design solution 1 Design solution 2
Feature A Feature A
Compare different design solutions for a particular
function

17. Broader Applications
Evaluate an interface in high level

18. Identify trouble elements in an interface
Broader Applications

19. Monitor eye movements and facial expressions in
real time during usability tests to help researchers
identify pain points of users
Frustration
Confusion
Time
Time
Broader Applications

20. What are some up and coming
applications of biometric data?

21. What are limitations of biometric
data?What do we need to be
careful of?

22. What size enterprise can do this
type of research successfully?

23. Q & A

24. Wrap Up