Is an Emoji Worth a Thousand Words? 🧐
Emoticons have existed since 1999, when they were invented by NTT Docomo for Japanese cellphones. It’s been just over 20 years, and emoji popularity has exploded along with the endless emoji options. The popular language-learning site, Duolingo considers emojis a “universal language,”
“Far from being silly little pictures that detract from “proper” written communication, they help us navigate the complexities of communicating without having access to body language or tone,” (Blanco, Wilson, 2022).
In a world such as the digital age we currently reside in, it is only natural to incorporate these icons into the way we research and assess website usability as well. Enter the Emoticon Score Method.
🔎 What is a Likert Scale?
“A likert scale, or rating system, is a measurement method used in research to evaluate attitudes, opinions and perceptions.
Likert scale questions are highly adaptable and can be used across a range of topics, from a customer satisfaction survey, to employment engagement surveys, to market research.” (Qualtrics)
This UX method combines the format of a Likert scale, replacing the five terms that typically consist of,
Strongly Agree
Agree
Neither Agree Nor Disagree
Disagree
Strongly Disagree
with a series of simple emoticons ranging in temperament such as,
😄
🙂
😐
🙁
😢
While the Likert scale’s purpose is to understand user sentiment, emoticons find a way to communicate feelings or opinions without the need for words. It’s a simple, yet effective method that makes filling out a boring survey a little more fun. In fact, it could be the difference between a user persevering through the questionnaire or exiting early, never to deliver their thoughts that are so valuable to the research we do. The bright, expressive visual component to the Emoticon Score Method has the ability to cut through the automatic eye glaze when we see a survey a website asks us to fill out.
Engineer Ahmed Abdelmageed and his team participating in a 2017 hackathon at LMU Innovation & Entrepreneurship Center created a survey model for Flixbus that incorporates this method to another level. The team decided to “gamify” the survey, which is a proven method utilized by the tech industry, and especially social media giants like Facebook and Instagram, offering rewards that trigger the brain’s dopamine response. By gamifying the survey with creative emojis and animations, they created a unique customer experience for users, offering the reward of free wifi to users who completed their survey. It is perfect for mobile users, and a reasonable exchange for access to the internet while commuting. Take a look at Abdelmageed’s prototype below to see the process in full.
Extending this method further, a 2018 case study published by Sarah Alismail and Hengwei Zhang titled The Use of Emoji in Electronic User Experience Questionnaire: An Exploratory Case Study evaluated the pros and cons presented by the emoji format in user experience questionnaires (UEQ’s) compared to a traditional written-out seven-point scale style of survey. The researchers found both advantages and challenges from their pool of subjects. Some participants praised the method for reasons such as its simplicity, ability to translate across language barriers, and fun experience,
"I like the emojis better . . . I knew exactly what you want me to do. There was no hesitation at all. It led you to the answer . . . instead of having two words at the side, it was just one word there and the faces[emoji]tell you what you think about it."
"…I think using emojis is probably more efficient that would have more accurate responses, especially that English is not my first language, so I found emoji useful for me.”
“I feel the first version was more formal while filling out the survey whereas the second one was more fun and I think it expressed my feeling in more accurate way . . . which helped me to select faster compared to the first one."
– Participant Feedback, The Use of Emoji in Electronic User Experience Questionnaire: An Exploratory Case Study
Others found the emoji survey distracting and open to too many interpretations,
“...the emojis maybe because I don’t use them. I don’t even have a smart phone, but they were for me at first a little bit distracting. Instead of a clear-cut line 1 through 5, now you have to interpret what each of the emoji is saying . . .”
“I have a problem with the neutral face. . . I feel the neutral face is upset, partly negative . . . I avoided choosing the neutral because I think the neutral emoji is upset.”
– Participant Feedback, The Use of Emoji in Electronic User Experience Questionnaire: An Exploratory Case Study
References:
Abdelmageed, Ahmed. “Surveys and User Motivation — a UX Case Study.” Medium, 26 Sept. 2018, uxdesign.cc/surveys-and-user-motivation-ux-case-study-2853d01b455c. Accessed 2 Feb. 2023.
Alismail, S., & Zhang, H. (2018). The use of emoji in electronic user experience questionnaire: An exploratory case study. Proceedings of the 51st Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences. https://doi.org/10.24251/hicss.2018.427
Blanco, C. (2022, July 18). Emoji are more than internet language 😍 🙃 🤓. Duolingo Blog. Retrieved February 2, 2023, from https://blog.duolingo.com/emoji-language-trends/
Bogost, I. (2019, February 11). Emoji don't mean what they used to. The Atlantic. Retrieved February 1, 2023, from https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2019/02/how-new-emoji-are-changing-pictorial-language/582400/
"Emoticon Scoring Method: A Benchmarking Tool." PlaybookUX. February 17, 2021. Video, https://youtu.be/-7vOnfKzDfs.
Likert scales: Definition, benefits & how to use them. Qualtrics. (2022, November 8). Retrieved February 4, 2023, from https://www.qualtrics.com/uk/experience-management/research/likert-scales/
Pannafino, James, and Patrick McNeil. 2017. UX Methods: A Quick Guide to User Experience Research Methods. CDUXP LLC.