Exploring the impact of bike gadgets and app features on user behavior

Abstract

Biking has emerged as a prominent trend in transportation, offering eco-friendly and cost-effective benefits while also saving time for its users. With notable technological advancements witnessed in recent years, there arises a necessity to comprehend how technological gadgets and apps tailored for cyclists can augment the cycling experience. Accordingly, this thesis seeks to explore the impact of mobile applications and gadget features on user experience. Employing a qualitative approach, we conducted 18 interviews with bike users engaged in various biking activities. The findings delineate five key factors influencing the experience: navigation, trip data logging, device interaction issues, information accessibility, and social gains, often referred to as social recognition. Drawing from these results, this study delves into its implications for future research and offers practical insights for managers of companies producing mobile applications and gadgets aimed at enhancing the biking experience. These insights encompass strategies to enhance user experience by addressing participant concerns and proposing viable solutions, including optimization of features such as navigation information.

Date of Award	18 Jul 2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Maher Georges Elmashhara (Supervisor)