Designing Visceral, Behavioural and Reflective Products

Abstract

Designers and manufacturers often see consumption as the primary objective of a product -with implications such as discarded products, obsolete wastes, and ecological degradation. The paper aims to find the answer to the question, how emotional design can adapt the discarded and undesirable products into something valuable in a long term? This paper presents a framework combining Chapman's theory and Norman's theory on three levels of emotional design to highlight what long lasting connection with products entails. A design approach is presented combing the Wabi Sabi philosophy that promotes the celebration of decay and damage. This is used as one of the design principles for the experiments conducted on discarded products. Through constant user interaction before, during and after the experiments the evaluation of design as an agent of transformation is done. The user conducted the evaluation based on the Kansei elements of looks, sound, smell, and feel of the product. The experiments confirmed that a long-term value is only achieved through redesigning and reconstructing the perception of people towards products on a reflective level, rather than the visceral and behavioural elements of the product. The research found attachment to the visceral and behavioural elements of a product instead of an emotional one was causing users to discard products faster than required. The research indicated that many people, including designers and manufacturers, are unconsciously focusing on usability (behavioural level) and physical look (visceral level) of a product that are easily replaced, than on a meaningful way (reflective level) to create and maintain long-lasting emotions. The research concluded with a proposition towards digitization of products which could perhaps be an all round solution to make products more appropriate to human emotions. Digitization could give products the ability to capture, store and then communicate the stories, journey and memories back, in order to empower people to understand the value of longer-term use of products.

An Ontological Approach of the Cognitive and Affective Product Experience

“…It is these three levels that the authors of this research constitute the cognitive and affective systems in different measures. Aftab and Rusli (2017) are consistent with the abstraction hierarchy described by Norman (2004) through evaluation experiments in the used furniture design. Most participants are emotionally linked to the usability (behavioral level) and appearance (visceral level) of the evaluated furniture.…”

Do Products Respond to User Desires? A Case Study. Errors and Successes in the Design Process, under the Umbrella of Emotional Design

“…Aftab et al [4] argue that this level produces long-term effects related to emotions, ownership satisfaction and exhibition of a certain product. Emotional attachment is determined by the user's disposition to perceive, reflect, and give a meaning to a product and not by the product itself.…”

“…Over the last years, the way in which products are designed, developed and manufactured has been changing. The rapid advancement of technology generates an increasingly competitive and saturated market, providing users more choices based on what these products mean for themselves, how they can influence the user's life and how the user thinks, feels and acts [3][4][5]. Therefore, this requires mass manufacturing of products that cover each user's needs, endorsing a rising interest and eagerness for also designing the user experience [6].…”

“…In the first case, the user response corresponds to a first emotional connection between the user and the product. On the second level, related to usability, the response corresponds to the experience the user has during the use of the product, including both positive and negative aspects [4]. The reflective level (RL), however, is related to the semantics and meaning of the product and affects the message and image that the product can communicate to the user.…”

Bridging the double-gap in circularity. Addressing the intention-behaviour disparity in fashion

“…However, designing for an emotional connection is difficult, with designers finding effective simulation of product-attachment particularly challenging due to the end-user adding meaning and consequently value to a product and therefore not something which can be added prior to this (Mugge, 2007). A study by Aftab and Rusli (2017) ascertained that people's emotional attachment to products resulted in the products not being discarded. It concluded that users were most likely to keep broken furniture beyond its usefulness if they had an emotional story assigned to the memory of the furniture.…”