Cosmetic obsolescence? User perceptions of new and artificially aged materials

Abstract

This paper presents the findings of a user study which explored tactile and aesthetic responses to new and artificially aged mobile phone cases made from bamboo, walnut, cork, leather, brushed titanium, plastic and rubber. The paper outlines test methods for accelerated ageing of the external enclosures of consumer electronics based on the types of wear experienced in use, and the use of semantic differential scales (SDS) to probe user attitudes to these materials. The results indicate that preferences for the materials tested were extremely subjective, and even a single participant can have conflicting requirements for the characteristics of the materials (for example, sleek and shiny yet easy to grip). Whilst in general participants preferred the new materials and saw the ageing process as negative, there were examples where the aged samples either scored more highly due to durability (titanium) or received positive comments about the aesthetic changes caused by severe ageing (bamboo and leather). This study captured the participants' immediate, visceral response to the materials, which may be very different to their feelings towards materials and objects that they have owned and interacted with for a period of time.

Ageing (dis)gracefully: Enabling designers to understand material change

“…Abrasion testing was carried out to simulate 'severe use', for example carrying an object in a pocket with keys and coins or dropping the object, using a technique developed previously (Bridgens et al, , 2017Lilley et al, 2016) which involves placing the material sample in a 100mm cube sealed box with small metal objects (keys, coins, 8mm nuts and bolts) and rotating the box such that the objects slide across and impact the material sample. This 'tumbling machine' operated at a rate of 3000 rotations per hour.…”

“…'Graceful ageing' is portrayed as a positive aesthetic attribute of natural and selected man-made materials within certain niche products and their marketing materials ( Figure 6). Iameco computers "get better with age" as the wood "matures" to create a unique patina; 'Nylund' leather products "grow and age gracefully", and over time "bear the signs of a life with you"; To understand where the 'tipping point' between patination and degradation lies, to investigate which aesthetic and tactile material changes are valued, if worn natural materials are more favourably judged than their man-made counterparts, and whether material change can engender emotional attachment, a series of user perception studies was conducted (Manley, Lilley and Hurn, 2015a;Lilley et al, 2016;Manley et al, 2016;Bridgens et al, 2017). Through this research, it became apparent that designing studies which aim to uncover perceptions of aged materials is challenging and that flaws in the study design can limit their effectiveness.…”

‘If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Explain It’: The Influence of Visual and Verbal Information about Prior Use on Consumers’ Evaluations of Refurbished Electronics

“…Future research could explore how consumers respond to refurbished electronics with either fewer or more extreme signs of usage. It is also important to investigate whether it is possible to create products that 'age gracefully' (Lilley et al 2016;Mugge, Schoormans, and Schifferstein 2005;Niinimäki and Koskinen 2011). More research is needed to provide designers with guidelines on how to design products and select materials for which wear and tear will result in the experience of 'patina' and more positive consumer evaluations.…”

Closing the Loop on E‐waste: A Multidisciplinary Perspective

“…Twelve participants were given cases with no coating (control sample), 12 received coated cases with no pre-explanation of the potential for material change to occur, and 12 were explicitly informed that the coated cases they were given "had the potential to change." The study was set up to run for 6 months, allowing the effect of context and acclimatization to gradual change to be studied, as opposed to the visceral response in many materials studies where participants are presented with material samples (Lilley et al 2016;Wongsriruksa et al 2012). The intention was to interview participants and photograph the phone cases at 2, 4, and 6 months.…”