A Performance Perspective on UX

A performative approach to user experience

This perspective on UX is built on a theoretical foundation in phenomenology, where individual subjective experience is the primary and natural focus of inquiry. This approach focuses on experience itself as a subjective phenomenon that is constantly being interpreted and reinterpreted by the individual. When interaction is viewed as a performance, experience can be described with respect to performers' perceptions of their own appearance, their consideration of the spectators around them, and the ways in which they fluidly move between performing and spectating. This paper refers to "performance" as in the performance of everyday life, where nearly every action is considered a kind of performance. Goffman describes a wide range of performances, from implicit performances of everyday actions and impression management to explicit performances such as giving a formal presentation to an audience or theatrical performance. The entire spectrum of performance is important to consider when evaluating experience because both implicit and explicit performances can form a significant aspect of the user experience. When designing and evaluating these performative experiences, dramaturgical metaphors, as discussed by Goffman, provide a way of describing and analysing interactions. These concepts, which come from traditional theatre, describe an individual's surroundings and how decisions are made based on those surroundings with respect to appearance, norms and standards, locations, and audience.

Valuing the subjective experience of individuals is an important aspect of this performative approach. From the perspective of phenomenology, social life exists within the subjective experience of individuals where an "objective" world or experience is of little importance or interest and arguably may not exist as an object that can or should be studied. There are two key aspects of phenomenology that separate it from the traditional positivist sociological perspectives. Firstly, humans as social beings are not simply controlled by external forces and factors but are constantly interacting and actively creating their own social reality. Secondly, specialised methods are required to access those experiences, perceptions, and intentions that are central to humanistic sociological inquiries. Within the field of sociology, this meant a shift from the traditional methods working with records, reports, and statistics to the development of participant observation, refined use of the interview technique, and the adoption of ethnographic methods. With respect to user experience, adopting this theoretical stance suggests a move away from traditional lab studies of interface accuracy and speed to studies that examine experience, usability, and perceptions as they are developed in real world settings.