The widespread adoption of second screen companion applications has transformed audience interactions with traditional television broadcasts. While previous research has often focused on engagement broadly or user experiences in isolation, this study specifically examines the voting experience within the context of Melodifestivalen, Sweden’s largest televised music competition. The purpose of this thesis is to evaluate the current voting system in the Melodifestivalen companion app, identify its strengths and weaknesses from a user-experience perspective, and propose design improvements to enhance audience engagement while aligning with the Sveriges Television (SVT) mission. Using a mixed methods approach, including quantitative surveys, thematic analysis, prototyping, and heuristic evaluation, the findings indicated that users generally find the voting system easy to use but express concerns about fairness, complexity, and inefficient interactions. Key user frustrations involved repetitive voting mechanics and unequal vote weighting due to demographic segmentation. Proposed improvements include simplifying voting interactions, removing age-based tiers, and introducing social gamification features. These enhancements aim to streamline usability, ensure perceived fairness, and leverage the social dimension inherent in Melodifestivalen viewing experiences.
Dominik Andraszek (Wed,) studied this question.