Capturing User Experiences of Mobile Information Technology with the Repertory Grid Technique

We describe the application of the repertory grid technique (RGT) as a tool for capturing the user experience of technological artifacts. In noting the artificiality of assessing the emotional impact of interactive artifacts in isolation from cognitive judgments, we argue that HCI techniques must provide practical solutions regarding how to assess the holistic meaning of users’ interactive experiences. RGT is a candidate for this role. This paper takes the reader step by step through setting up, conducting, and analyzing a RGT study. RGT is a technique on the border between qualitative and quantitative research, unique in that it respects the wholeness of cognition and does not separate the intellectual from the emotional aspects of the user experience. Compared to existing methods in HCI, RGT has the advantage of treating experiences holistically, while also providing a degree of quantitative precision and generalizability in their capture.