Product Design: Preference for Rounded versus Angular Design Elements

Westerman, S. J.; Gardner, Peter; Sutherland, Ed; White, Tom; Jordan, Katie; Watts, David; Wells, Sophie

doi:10.1002/mar.20546

Cited by 129 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Here, one might already think of the angular bottle and label shape used on the Listerine bottle versus the rounded bottle and label used for Scope, both brands of mouthwash [75]. What is certainly clear is that there is growing interest in this area from academic researchers [76][77][78].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the shape symbolism of the taste, flavour, and texture of foods and beverages

Spence

Ngo

2012

Flavour

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Consumers reliably match a variety of tastes (bitterness, sweetness, and sourness), oral-somatosensory attributes (carbonation, oral texture, and mouth-feel), and flavours to abstract shapes varying in their angularity. For example, they typically match more rounded forms such as circles with sweet tastes and more angular shapes such as triangles and stars with bitter and/or carbonated foods and beverages. Here, we suggest that such shape symbolic associations could be, and in some cases already are being, incorporated into the labelling and/or packaging of food and beverage products in order to subconsciously set up specific sensory expectations in the minds of consumers. Given that consumers normally prefer those food and beverage products that meet their sensory expectations, as compared to those that give rise to a 'disconfirmation of expectation', we believe that the targeted use of such shape symbolism may provide a means for companies to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. Here, we review the latest research documenting a variety of examples of shape symbolism in the food and beverage sector. We also highlight a number of the explanations for such effects that have been put forward over the years. Finally, we summarise the latest evidence demonstrating that the shapes a consumer sees on the label and even the shape of the packaging in which the product is served can all impact on a consumer's sensory-discriminative and hedonic responses to food and beverage products.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the shape symbolism of the taste, flavour, and texture of foods and beverages

Spence

Ngo

2012

Flavour

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“…This holds true for lines (Bertamini, Palumbo, Gheorges, & Galatsidas, 2016; Salgado-Montejo, Tapia Leon, Elliot, Salgado, & Spence, 2015), abstract novel shapes (Bar & Neta, 2006; Bertamini et al., 2016; Silvia & Barona, 2009; Velasco et al., 2016), common objects (Bar & Neta, 2006; Westerman et al., 2012), car interiors (Leder & Carbon, 2005), and interior architectural environments (Dazkir & Read, 2012; van Oel & van den Berkhof, 2013; Vartanian et al., 2013). Even infants (Jadva, Hines, & Golombok, 2010; Quinn, Brown, & Streppa, 1997) and great apes (Munar, Gómez-Puerto, Call, & Nadal, 2015) demonstrate this preference.…”

Section: The Robustness Of Curvature Preferencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Curve Appeal: Exploring Individual Differences in Preference for Curved Versus Angular Objects

et al. 2017

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A preference for smooth curvature, as opposed to angularity, is a well-established finding for lines, two-dimensional shapes, and complex objects, but little is known about individual differences. We used two-dimensional black-and-white shapes—randomly generated irregular polygons, and arrays of circles and hexagons—and measured many individual differences, including artistic expertise, personality, and cognitive style. As expected, people preferred curved over angular stimuli, and people’s degree of curvature preference correlated across the two sets of shapes. Multilevel models showed varying patterns of interaction between shape and individual differences. For the irregular polygons, people higher in artistic expertise or openness to experience showed a greater preference for curvature. This pattern was not evident for the arrays of circles and hexagons. We discuss the results in relation to the nature of the stimuli, and we conclude that individual differences do play a role in moderating the preference for smooth curvature.

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“…Of course, given our general preference for curvature over angularity (e.g., Westerman, Gardner, Sutherland, White, Jordan, Watts, & Wells, 2012 [67]; see Gómez-Puerto, Munar, & Nadal, 2016 [68], for a recent historical overview), it could be suggested that opting for a rounder form for one's glassware ought, generally-speaking, to be preferred (over straight-sided glassware). However, that said, if a 4 This does, though, raise the question of whether any of the differences in drinking behaviour might not be attributable, at least in part, to any differences in the multisensory tasting experience that result from the change in the form/shape of the glassware.…”

Section: Crossmodal Correspondences Between Shape Properties and Tastmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the Shape of the Drinking Receptacle Influence Taste/Flavour Perception? A Review

Spence

Doorn

2017

Beverages

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Abstract:In this review, we summarize the latest evidence demonstrating that the shape and feel of the glassware (and other receptacles) that we drink from can influence our perception of the taste/flavour of the contents. Such results, traditionally obtained in the world of wine, have often been interpreted in terms of changes in physico-chemical properties (resulting from the retention, or release, of specific volatile aromatic molecules), or the differing ways in which the shape of the glassware funnels the flow of the liquid across the tongue. It is, however, not always clear that any such physico-chemical differences do, in fact, lead to perceptible differences. Others, meanwhile, have stressed the importance of cultural factors, and the perceived appropriateness, or congruency, of the receptacle to the drink, based on prior experience. Here, though, we argue that there is also a much more fundamental association at work between shape properties and taste/flavour. In particular, the suggestion is made that the shape properties of the drinking receptacle (e.g., whether it be more rounded or angular)-regardless of whether the receptacle is seen, felt, or both-can prime certain expectations in the mind of the drinker. And, based on the theory of crossmodal correspondence, this priming is thought to accentuate certain aspects of the tasting experience, likely as a result of a taster's attention being focused on the attributes that have been subtly primed.

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Product Design: Preference for Rounded versus Angular Design Elements

Cited by 129 publications

References 51 publications

Assessing the shape symbolism of the taste, flavour, and texture of foods and beverages

Assessing the shape symbolism of the taste, flavour, and texture of foods and beverages

Curve Appeal: Exploring Individual Differences in Preference for Curved Versus Angular Objects

Does the Shape of the Drinking Receptacle Influence Taste/Flavour Perception? A Review

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