Flag

We stand with Ukraine and our team members from Ukraine. Here are ways you can help

Get exclusive access to thought-provoking articles, bonus podcast content, and cutting-edge whitepapers. Become a member of the UX Magazine community today!

Home ›› Design ›› Organized Approach to Emotional Response Testing

Organized Approach to Emotional Response Testing

by Nathanael Boehm
3 min read
Share this post on
Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Save

Categorizing feeling words and the Product Reaction Cards to develop custom cards.

Most user experience designers will have heard of the Product Reaction Cards (doc), a set of 118 words and phrases developed for Microsoft by Joey Benedek and Trish Miner in 2002 that can be deployed in a user testing workshop to help people articulate their emotional responses to a product.

The Product Reaction Cards are part of the Desirability Toolkit (doc) that suggests facilitators ask users to choose the cards that “best describe the product or how using the product made them feel” and then ask them to narrow their selection to just five cards. The cards selection process is then followed by an interview where the participant explains why they selected those five cards.

Whilst the 118 card deck seems to work for the creators of the PRC, some people think it’s too much—I posted a question on UX Exchange a few months ago about and received responses like “unnecessarily fiddly” whilst another said they use a subset of the cards. Donna Spencer, author of Card Sorting, commented:

…at the end of the test the last thing a participant wants to do is go through this big pile of cards. It takes quite a lot of time, but I don’t think the gain is worth the pain.

Whilst I support the goals of the cards to prompt people and provide a full vocabulary than might otherwise come to mind during workshop sessions I’ve been wondering if there might be a different approach.

For example, in the book People Skills, Robert Bolton talks about using adverbs to describe the level of intensity as well as grouping feeling words into “families”:

By preceding feeling-word adjectives with appropriate adverbs, you can communicate with some accuracy the degree or intensity of feeling.

You could select adverbs appropriate to the adjective, as in the example Bolton uses:

  • You feel a little sad because your dog died
  • You feel quite sad over your dog’s death
  • You feel very sad that your dog died
  • You feel deeply sad since your dog died

Or you could opt for a normalised Likert scale approach that could be applied to any adjective; although that would require participants to explicitly state their opinion of every feeling word, phrased as questions like, “This product makes me feel stressed: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Neither Agree or Disagree, Agree or Strongly Agree.”

It’s intensive but it is a more analytical and thorough approach.

The “families” that Bolton refers to is a matrix of categories of feeling words grouped by levels of intensity for example in the category of emotional feeling words for “sadness”:

Strong:

  • Desolate
  • Anguished
  • Despondent
  • Depressed

Mild:

  • Glum
  • Blue
  • Sad
  • Out of sorts

Weak:

  • Below par
  • Displeased
  • Dissatisfied
  • Low

This grouping of feeling words by level of intensity, the use of adverbs or a Likert scale, coupled with the Production Reaction Cards authors’ recommendation to maintain a 60/40 ratio of positive to negative words should provide you with a better framework should you wish to alter or reduce the list of 118 words and phrases whilst ensuring you still cover the full range of emotional responses.

Think of it like a paint palette where the type of emotion is the hue and the intensity is the brightness. You might not need your 16.7 million colours but if you’re going to cull your palette at least take a sensible and logical approach to it.

This is especially important if you want to follow a quantitative approach to reporting on research conducted using the PRC as mentioned in the book Measuring the User Experience by Thomas Tullis and Bill Albert.

What are your experiences with using the Product Reaction Cards—specifically if you culled the list of words and phrases or came up with your own? What technique did you use for developing your custom set of cards and how do you think your choices affected the quality and thoroughness of the emotional response inquiry?

post authorNathanael Boehm

Nathanael Boehm
Nathanael has been working in web application development since 2000. He started as as developer before focusing on front-end design and then giving up coding to specialise in UX design. He has worked primarily in the public sector for Australian Government departments and agencies but also has several years experience in private sector working in e-commerce, e-learning and product development. Nathanael has also been involved with TEDx conferences in Canberra Australia and Christchurch New Zealand as well as organising BarCamp events, Free Australia Wireless, Canberra Coworking and OpenAustralia.

Tweet
Share
Post
Share
Email
Print

Related Articles

AI is reshaping UX, and Figma may be sinking. As AI-driven systems minimize UI, traditional design roles must evolve — or risk becoming obsolete. Are you ready to adapt?

Article by Greg Nudelman
AI Is Flipping UX Upside Down: How to Keep Your UX Job, and Why Figma is a Titanic (It’s not for the Reasons You Think)
  • The article explores the fundamental shift in UX as AI-first systems minimize the role of UI, rendering traditional design tools like Figma increasingly obsolete.
  • It introduces the “Iceberg UX Model,” illustrating how modern AI-driven interfaces prioritize functionality and automation over visual design.
  • The piece argues that UX professionals must shift their focus from UI aesthetics to AI-driven user experience, emphasizing use case validation, AI model integration, and data-informed decision-making.
  • It warns that designers who remain fixated on pixel-perfect layouts risk becoming obsolete, urging them to adapt by engaging in AI-driven UX strategies.
Share:AI Is Flipping UX Upside Down: How to Keep Your UX Job, and Why Figma is a Titanic (It’s not for the Reasons You Think)
7 min read

Data visualization isn’t just about charts — it’s about telling a clear and compelling story. This article unpacks a wide spectrum of essential principles for making data easy to understand, honest, and engaging. Ready to transform complex numbers into meaningful insights?

Article by Jim Gulsen
The Ultimate Data Visualization Handbook for Designers
  • The article serves as a comprehensive guide for elevating visualization work, combining technical expertise with design principles to help designers transform raw data into meaningful insights.
  • It provides a point of reference for strategies, methods, and best practices to create more effective and impactful data visualizations.
  • The piece recommends tools and resources that design professionals can immediately implement to enhance the clarity and persuasiveness of their data storytelling.
Share:The Ultimate Data Visualization Handbook for Designers
23 min read

Discover how breaking down silos and embracing cross-functional collaboration can lead to smarter, more user-centered design — and better products for everyone.

Article by Rodolpho Henrique
Beyond the Design Silo: How Collaboration Elevates UX
  • The article explores how siloed UX design practices can hinder product success and argues for cross-functional collaboration as essential to creating meaningful user experiences.
  • It outlines the benefits of working closely with product managers, engineers, and stakeholders to align user needs with technical feasibility and business goals.
  • The piece provides real-world collaboration examples across research, prototyping, design systems, and accessibility to show how teamwork leads to more innovative and effective UX outcomes.
Share:Beyond the Design Silo: How Collaboration Elevates UX
4 min read

Join the UX Magazine community!

Stay informed with exclusive content on the intersection of UX, AI agents, and agentic automation—essential reading for future-focused professionals.

Hello!

You're officially a member of the UX Magazine Community.
We're excited to have you with us!

Thank you!

To begin viewing member content, please verify your email.

Tell us about you. Enroll in the course.

    This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Check our privacy policy and