In addition to global companies such as Apple and Google, research institutes such as Gartner and KISTEP (Korea Institute of Science & Technology Evaluation and Planning) noted that virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) were key technolo...
In addition to global companies such as Apple and Google, research institutes such as Gartner and KISTEP (Korea Institute of Science & Technology Evaluation and Planning) noted that virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) were key technology areas in the fourth industrial revolution era that could revolutionize the ICT (Information Communication Technologies) market in the future. Unlike VR, which can only be used with a separate device, the growth potential of AR, which can be easily accessed by smartphone, is estimated to be six times higher. Research has been expanded to include learning effects, content development, and usability evaluation as AR growth potential becomes more prominent. However, there is relatively little research on AR shopping, which has been highly evaluated for its growth potential due to the lack of space constraints.
In previous research, there is a study showing the possibility of AR shopping by showing the high level of consumer involvement and satisfaction through product experience complementing the limits of online shopping. The strength of AR contents is to maximize the consumer experience through real-time interaction, but there is a lack of research on the AR shopping contents in the early stage of growth from the perspective of user experience.
AR contents have a complex characteristic of combining space, graphics, and images in real space by combining graphics. As a result, the user experience will be different from existing content and the approach to content design must be different. In other words, it is necessary to study UX design to enhance consumer experience by increasing satisfaction, immersion, and sense of reality in AR shopping contents. Particularly, satisfaction, engagement, and sense of reality in shopping contents are important factors leading to the purchase process. Therefore, an attempt should be made to apply the theory of affordance to induce interaction between user and object. Based on this, a strategy for designing user - centered augmented reality contents is needed.
The purpose of this study is to suggest guidelines to consider when designing contents based on media, environment characteristics and user experience of mobile AR shopping contents. The research methodology is based on two theoretical and empirical approaches. First, the survey items of AR shopping contents were derived based on literature analysis and case analysis, and the user responses to AR contents and the improvements from the experts' perspectives were searched by 5 general users and 3 UI / UX experts.
User survey results are based on the theory of affordability (cognitive, sensory, and physical affordance) of Rex Harris, who introduced affordance into the HCI field. In terms of cognitive positivity, it was found that lack of cognitive guidance, low clarity and predictability of icons and menu meanings. In physical acceptance, it was found that the efficiency of operation was inferior due to lack of guidance on how to operate AR contents unfamiliar to the user. Also, in the process of interacting with the objects of the real space and the smartphone screen, it was found that the physical contact with the surrounding objects deteriorates the immersion feeling. In the cognitive affordance, it was found that the main function icons, menu visibility and attention were not considered and the possibility of discovery was low because the user’s usage environment was not considered. These problems are confusing to use, and it has been investigated that immersion feeling and real feeling which are advantages of realistic contents are lowered.
Therefore, in this study, we proposed six goals of UX design and 25 detailed guidelines to solve these problems. The six improvement goals of the guideline are current state visualization, increased efficiency of operation, accurate information transmission, minimization of risk and disturbance factors, UI design suitable for user environment, and increase of visual immersion. <Current State Visualization> is intended to minimize user confusion with visual guidance that can lead to progress, results, and next actions. The purpose of <Improving the efficiency of operation> is to improve the operation efficiency by presenting the unfamiliar AR content manipulation method as easy-to-understand visual information. The purpose of <precise information transmission> is to increase usability by increasing the clarity and predictability of meaning by using universal icons for main menu and functions. <Minimization of risk and disturbance factors> is a guideline for effectively communicating the risk and disturbance factors generated during the use of content to users, and aims to improve usability and immersion. <UI design suitable for user environment> is clearly distinguished from user environment (real space) and aims to improve understanding of functions. In <Increasing visual immersion> we proposed a guideline to enhance user immersion by realistic graphics when combined with real space.
I hope that the proposed guidelines will be utilized in the design of mobile augmented reality contents in the future and hopefully many researches on AR contents will be made.