As UX designers, we always have to research what users actually want and need. Even if we have clients demanding certain things, it’s still ultimately about the user. But, how do we research fun UX?
With many products and services, it’s easy to discover the need, such as lawn rake mitts that make it easy and safe to pick up yard debris. However, a fun game or something frivolous is solely about enjoyment.
As with any UX design project, it’s still vital to do your research. The fun thing about researching user enjoyment is you get to be even more creative than usual.
Understanding Why People Have Fun
Sometimes, fun UX is looked down on. For example, most people would consider Candy Crush or Angry Birds to just be a time-waster. Even though people enjoy it, it’s not a necessity. Or is it?
Before you even start your research, you need to understand why people have fun and why fun is a necessity in life. When you see fun as any other legitimate need, the research process becomes more obvious.
Albert Einstein said that “creativity is intelligence having fun.” This means to unleash your creative side, you need to let your brain relax and have fun.
Everyone from infants to seniors needs playtime. It’s not a guilty pleasure. It’s a vital skill to aid with problem-solving, stress relief, mental health, physical health, social skills and more. Just relaxing and enjoying yourself is great for your overall wellbeing and health.
Look To What People Love (Past & Present)
Now that we all understand that play is just as important as exercise or building healthy relationships, it’s time to start diving into how to actually research fun UX to ensure those fun ideas are actually what users will enjoy.
Whatever area you’re designing for, take a deep look at what people currently love and what was popular in the past. While you should never just copy what’s popular, you can see what elements tend to drive the product, app or service’s success.
For instance, a game app that can be completely finished in a few weeks isn’t going to last long. All the hard work won’t lead to much of a payout. Users would rather invest in an app that invests in them, such as adding new content on a regular basis or offering ever-changing levels, much like a Solitaire game.
Write down common elements and research reviews as well. Now, compare those to your idea. This is a crucial step, especially if you won’t have a test group available.
Take Pain Points Into Consideration
The next step is to see what similar projects are doing wrong. No matter how unique your idea may be, there will be something at least a little similar. Use this to your advantage.
Look at what users hate about it. Test it out yourself. Where could you improve the UX and fun factor? Perhaps a popular card game is well-loved for the game mechanics, but the cards are too slick. You could have similar mechanics, but ensure the cards are textured and easier to hold.
Determine Your Target Demo
Next, determine who your target demographic is. These will be your early testers, so it’s vital to determine this audience early on. For example, Cards Against Humanity was designed as a fun party game, but the creators knew that not everyone was going to be a fan.
They targeted only adults with a twisted sense of humor. By only targeting that demo, the game was much more successful. Both Forbes and Entrepreneur provide great guides to narrowing your audience for better idea validation.
Test With Mockups And Early Marketing
Every UX designer gets nervous at this point. It’s the time when we actually start presenting our idea to the public. You’ll need mockups and some early marketing to start testing user interest. A few ways to do this include:
- Use Facebook ads, Google ads and/or ads on relevant popular websites
- Ask for early beta testers on social media
- Create a website to gauge interest, much like Kickstarter projects do during early development
- Post in forums or in social media groups with your target demo
Next Steps…
Now that you’ve narrowed down your target demo and reached out to start lightly testing interest, it’s time to really dive into researching user enjoyment by getting out with your users and analyzing feedback.
I’ll continue this part in the second part of this guide!
Image: Unsplash, chuttersnap