Product attributes and the model of emotional design: How the product development engineers perceive product features?

In design practice emotions elicited by product appearance are often considered to be intangible and, therefore, quite hard to manipulate, even less to treat in a level of discussions. This arises from the fact that the emotions are something that a person has, rather than a social fact. Another usually stated emotional-related issue is that emotions are very difficult to define. This leads to define emotions as a subjective state of mind that a person is ambiguously aware of. However, it would be advantageous to assume that actors participating in a product development process would be able to communicate emotions linked to the products appearance using the ‘signals’ based on product attributes. The most common way of signalling is through spoken language and different attributes can be used to define the technical, aesthetical and other perceived aspects of the products. This is in line with Donald Norman’s (2004) well known model of emotional design - the ways people perceive emotional design in products. This happens principally in three levels: visceral, behavioural and reflective.

This paper presents the empirical findings on how product development engineers link the pre-defined and emotionally orientated product attributes to products. The questions studied are how the three levels of emotional design can be linked to attributes in different products. The study is based on visual data collected from the annual Finnish furniture and interior decoration fair ‘Habitare’, in 2004. The study is based on 90 photographs taken by product development engineers working in R & D unit at the global manufacturing company. The company is specialised in manufacturing transportation systems. The data embodies 90 images, and it includes also short participant interviews conducted after collecting the visual data. The test persons, altogether 15 product development engineers in 5 groups, participated in the study. The product development engineers were to identify 20 given attributes based on the classification of Johnson et al. (2003) by finding products that represent those attributes.

The result of the study shows that the groups had tendency to link attributes to the products on behavioural level rather than on the reflective level. Applying the slightly revised Norman’s model, the product’s selection criteria were clearer in visceral and behavioural levels than in reflective level.

Based on this study, designers may find it worthwhile to include emotions in the intentions of design efforts. In design process this can be concretely utilised by using certain product attributes that will probably induce desired responses. On the other hand, emotional responses may incite consumers or customers to select a particular product based on visceral, behavioural and reflective emotions. Therefore emotions can be seen having a considerable influence on purchase decisions, both in consumer and investment goods businesses. From an organisational point of view, the emotions should be taking a firmer place in a design process. Based on this study, to designers is offered a classification of product attributes that should aid in discussing the abstract concept of ‘emotional concerns’ and how design can be seen through different product attributes. Understanding the particular product attributes on abstract level, designing a product that ‘feels good’, ‘has desired feeling’ or to design a product that ‘follows corporate brand values’ is made visible in product development organisation. It can be seen as a consequence of a development path in which more and more designers are challenging consumers and customers to discover the emotional impact in their lives.