User Experience of Digital News: Two Semi-long Term Field Studies

Abstract

Reading of digital news on personal devices has dramatically increased. Parallel to new devices, novel service or even content types are created forming new habits and experiences for readers. However, previous research is limited in understanding temporal aspects of such users’ experiences (UX). The goal of this study is to understand user experience of mobile news reading in a real context of use over one week in two different case studies. UX of digital replicas, browser optimized versions of digital news, and novel media authentication method for news reading and ordering were explored with actual news readers (N=36) in field using their own tablets and personal computers. Data-collection included in daily diaries with the UX questionnaires and the retrospective interviews. The results showed that the studied forms of digital news and authentication methods provided positive user experience and they were appealing for future digital news. UX also showed a tendency of improving over a time. In addition, the user’s habits of reading digital news reflected the conventions of reading a print newspaper.