Experience Design Cards for Social Robotics

Abstract

Robots that interact with humans in a natural and interpersonal manner are called social robots. To create positive experiences via those interactions, aspects of user experience and human-centered design processes are necessary. Being a relatively new field of study, user experience in social robotics requires different tools for its researchers to conduct their research in an organized and coordinated manner. This thesis aims to design such a tool, a design card for social robotics which will be used for an experience-driven design for social robotics. The card will be used as a source of inspiration. To answer the research questions, we did the literature review, summarized experiences based on the review; then created cards and developed techniques for card deck use. The cards and their use methods were tested via online sessions with participants. We invited UX robotic researchers and current and former UX students to participate because our target card deck users are UX robotics designers and students. The result shows that the card deck design is quite successful both quantitatively and qualitatively as a source of inspiration and guideline for ideation. The participants pointed out some issues with consistency in using images accordance with title of a card, but this does not seem to be a major issue. The card deck can be continuously improved with every use in the future. It has been suggested that the card deck can be adjusted to be used in other human-centered and experience-driven design processes. The card deck can also be expanded based on further research in the future.