User-experience Ecosystems: A Tool for Understanding User Experiences From the User's Viewpoint

User experience has been established as a valid concept when the user’s viewpoint of interactive products and services is considered. However, the definitions of user experience are currently linked only to the designed product or service. From the user’s perspective, the usage of a product usually includes the use of other resources as well, and all these resources have an effect on the experience of using the product. This article defines the concept of user-experience ecosystems as a network of products, services and information resources the user is experiencing when using a product. The user-experience ecosystem concept takes into account the technology-filled world we are currently living in. The power of the user-experience ecosystem concept is demonstrated via a case study of university students’ e-book reader user experience.