A master thesis from Aalborg University
To Simplify Or Not To Simplify, A Longitudinal Case Study Of Smart Speakers Appropriation Over Time
Author(s)
Term
4. Term
Publication year
2019
Submitted on
2019-06-03
Pages
51 pages
Abstract
Studies have shown that not all the provided functions in the smart speaker are being used equally. For this reason, we wanted to find out why some functions are used less frequently as others. Two variations of smart speakers were constructed; a simplified smart speaker which had limited functionality and a complex smart speaker with full functionality. A longitudinal case study was conducted with the purpose of gaining an in-depth understanding of the long-term use of the smart speaker and to examine the difference in how users appropriate the speaker based on its complexity. The framework, temporality of experience by Karapanos et al., was used as an analytical lens to see how users appropriate the smart speaker in the three phases based on the complexity of the smart speaker. It was found that the complexity did not have an impact on the appropriation of the smart speaker in the orientation phase, since all the households had been through this phase. It was furthermore found that the households with the complex smart speaker are more likely to develop routines and reach the incorporation phase. The findings suggest that the complexity had an impact on the identification phase. Although none of the households had developed an emotional attachment to the smart speakers, it was found that the households with the complex speakers were more likely to develop this attachment. The simplified smart speaker did not reach the last phase due to the available functions being insufficient for the households.
Keywords
Documents
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