1,721,067 research outputs found
Visceral hedonic rhetoric : exploring the design of interactive products\ud
No full textBlurb: This empirical study analysed consumer emotional responses towards interactive products, specifically looking at properties that persuasively induce the pursuit of pleasure at an instinctual level of cognition, now known as ‘visceral hedonic rhetoric'. By analysing three different types of interactive products results found hierarchical and inter-relatable attributes with the potential to provide a positive consumer-product relationship that is more meaningful, less disposable and more sustainable in the future
Visceral hedonic rhetoric
No full textEmotional responses can incite and entice consumers to select a particular product from a row of similar items and thus have a considerable impact on purchase decisions. Consequently, more and more companies are challenging designers to address the emotional impact of their work and to design for emotion and consumerproduct relationships. Furthermore, the creation of emotional attachment to one’s possessions is one way of approaching a sustainable consumer-product relationship. The aim of this research is to gain a deeper understanding of the instantaneous emotional attachment that consumers form with products and its subsequent implications for product development. The foci of the study are visceral design, consumer hedonics and product rhetoric. Studied in a conglomerate they become an area of new investigation: visceral hedonic rhetoric. In this context, the term “visceral hedonic rhetoric” is defined as the properties of a product that persuasively elicit the pursuit of pleasure at an instinctual level of cognition. This study explores visceral hedonic rhetoric evident in the design of interactive products and resides within the context of emotional design research. It employs an empirical approach to understand how consumers respond hedonically on a visceral level to rhetoric in products. Specifically, it examines visceral hedonic responses given by thirty participants to the stimuli of six mobile telephones, six Mp3 players and six USB memory flash drives. The study findings demonstrate a hierarchy of visceral hedonic rhetoric evident in interactive products. This hierarchy of visceral hedonic attributes include: colour, size, shape, intrigue, material, perceived usability, portability, perceived function, novelty, analogy, brand, quality, texture and gender. However, it is the interrelationships between these visceral hedonic attributes that are the most significant findings of this research. Certain associations were revealed between product attribute combinations and consumer perception. The most predominant of these were: gender bias associated with colour selection; the creation of intrigue through a vibrant attention-grabbing colour; perceived ease of use and function; product confidence as a result of brand familiarity and perceived usability; analogous association through familiarity with similar objects and shapes; and the association of longevity with quality, novelty or recent technology. A significant outcome of the research is the distillation of visceral hedonic rhetoric design principles, and a tool to assist designers in harnessing the full potential of visceral hedonic rhetoric. This study contributes to the identification of the emerging research field of visceral hedonic rhetoric. Application of this study’s findings has the potential to provide a hedonic consumer-product relationship that is more meaningful, less disposable and more sustainable. This theory of visceral hedonic rhetoric is not only a significant contribution to design knowledge but is also generally transferable to other research domains, as later suggested in future research avenues
Design horizons : provoking thoughts
No full textThe future of industrial design is not set in stone. The future whether we think of it as next year or 50 years from now, is in fact forged by the actions that we make today. Thus, as we dome to a close on the first decade of the 21st Century it is an opportune time to reflect, take stock, and assess the landscape of the industrial design profession.\ud
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The inaugural Design Horizons forum, titled Provoking Thought, was held on Friday the 6th July 2010 at The Edge, State Library of Queensland. It was conceptualised by Cara Wrigley and Rafael Gomez to provide a space for industrial designers to motivate, challenge and encourage healthy debate on the future of industrial design in the spirit of respect and integrity. The vision was for all involved to walk away inspired, engaged and most of all provoked by the ideas, questions and propositions presented on the day
Design thinking pedagogy: The educational design ladder
No full textAs global industries change and technology advances, traditional education systems might no longer be able to supply companies with graduates who possess an appropriate mix of skills and experience. The recent increased interest in Design Thinking as an approach to innovation has resulted in its adoption by non-design-trained professionals. This development necessitates a new method of teaching Design Thinking and its related skills and processes. As a basis for such a method, this research investigated 51 selected courses across 28 international universities to determine what Design Thinking is being taught (content), and how it is being taught (assessment and learning modes). To support the teaching and assessment of Design Thinking, this paper presents The Educational Design Ladder, an innovative resource/model that provides a process for the organisation and structuring of units for a multidisciplinary Design Thinking programme
Designing an emotional strategy : Strengthening digital channel engagements
No full textThe emergence of new technologies has revolutionized the way companies interact and build relationships with customers. The channel–customer relationship has traditionally been managed via a push approach in communication (“What can we sell customers?”) with the hope of cultivating customer loyalty. However, emotional understandings of customers and how they feel about a product, service, or business can drastically alter consumers’ engagement, behavior, and purchasing preferences. This rapidly evolving landscape has left managers at a loss, and what they are experiencing is likely the beginning of a tectonic shift in the way digital channels are designed, monitored, and managed. In this article, digital channel relationships are examined, and useful concepts for clarifying and refining the emotional meaning behind company strategy and their relationship to corresponding digital channels are detailed. Using three case study examples, we discuss the process and impact of such emotionally aware digital channel designs. Recommendations are made regarding how companies can select, design, and maintain digital engagements based on their strategy and industry needs
Design innovation catalysts: Education and impact
No full textOrganizations globally look to design to help them innovate, differentiate, and compete in a changing economic climate. Consequently, design is increasingly being regarded as a dynamic and central tactical business resource. Considering this, the question is raised: how can the specific knowledge and skills of designers be better articulated, understood, implemented, and valued as core components of strategic innovation in businesses? In seeking to answer this question, this paper proposes a new frontier for the design profession, coined the “Design Innovation Catalyst” (DIC). This paper reflects on both extant literature and the teaching of seven DICs embedded in industry, conducting innovation projects run over a twelve to twenty-four month period. This paper reports on a unique set of six capabilities analyzed as being not only essential for the implementation of design-led innovation, but of great assistance in overcoming its associated challenges. This paper outlines the role of these new design professionals, and discusses the value these novel capabilities provide organizations through employing DICs. Furthermore, questions surrounding how designers will develop these new capabilities, and how the design-led innovation framework in application can contribute to the future of design will also be presented
Emotional interactions with portable devices in everyday contexts
No full textEmotions have, in recent years, been of great importance for the field of design both in research and in practice. An interesting and challenging area for investigation is people’s emotional interactions with portable interactive devices (PIDs). PIDs pose interesting challenges for designers because they are specifically designed to be transported and utilised across a variety of locations and social situations. They present new means of interacting with the world; allowing people to interact with entertainment, news, information and communicate with other people virtually anytime, anywhere.\ud
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This paper reports on a study in progress that explored people’s emotional experience with portable interactive devices over the first six months of use. The approach is based on activity theory, which is concerned with understanding the relation between people’s thoughts and awareness of their lives and the activities and actions performed in the real world. To study people’s experiences a triangulation methodology was applied. Participants were asked to capture their diverse experiences with portable entertainment/media devices (including mp3’s and PDAs) in a diary over the course of six months as well as participate in intermittent interviews and a co-discovery. The intent was to record their everyday experiences with these devices in a longitudinal and qualitative manner.\ud
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Initial findings indicate that people interact with these types of PIDs in an emotional way both at a personal level and a social level. Furthermore, analysis suggests that the overall emotional experience over the course of six months is related directly to the proportion of negative social interactions experienced over that period. It appears that this relationship does not exist with negative personal experiences. These initial findings are discussed within the context of other portable interactive devices including medical/health products. Finally the implications of the findings for future portable device design and future research directions for the study are outlined.\u
In-service suspension testing of heavy vehicles – update on recent test programme and proof-of-concept
No full textOne response to requests from the transport industry to allow more "freight efficient" heavy vehicles (HVs) onto the road network has been that road authorities have allowed higher axle loads in return for HVs being equipped with "road-friendly" suspensions. These suspensions (particularly those with air springs) are critically dependant on shock absorber health for proper operation. They are only certified, however, as "road-friendly" at the time of manufacture and this via a type-test. Once in service, the "road-friendliness" is determined solely by the maintenance regime of the transport operator. There is no in-service test for HV suspensions in Australia yet. Over 50% of Australian HVs do not meet at least one of the criteria for Australian requirements of "road-friendly" suspensions.\ud
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The Australian Government and the State Governments of New South Wales and Queensland are funding a programme to develop an in-service suspension test for HVs. This paper examines some possible low-cost test methodologies for an in service HV suspension test and their results within the context of a "proof-of-concept" test programme. The results show that low-cost testing is possible and is as accurate as the high-cost methods used for the original "road-friendly" certification
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