Research Methodology
Literature review
Define objects of desire
Identify emotional links to objects of desire
Identify characteristics that make them objects of desire
Define affective design/engineering & Methodologies – Product/web design fields
Case studies
Identify brands that are ‘objects of desire’
Who is their primary target market?
What values does the brand stand for?
How can the brand personality be described?
What story does the brand communicate?
What’s the authenticity of its story? Imaginative, historic, revolutionary, inspirational
What ‘affective visual codes’ does the brand use? – Semiotics
How does the brand connect at an emotional level with its customers?
What characteristics make their products desirable?
What methods does the brand use to create engagement?
Research questions:
How do product designers intentionally stimulate affective responses?
How to create brand value through designing ‘objects of desire’ that stimulate emotional responses through graphic design?
Kansei Engineering
The Kansei engineering is a product design methodology applied to objects that have intentionally been created to display built-in affective features. According to Shütte et al (2008) “The Kansei engineering can be defined as a product development methodology which translates customers’ and users’ feelings, impressions and emotions into concrete design parameters” (p. 478). This methodology is commonly used to evaluate products that already exist in the market as it depends on previous user experience and contributes to the creation of an optimized experience product-customer.
The kansei methodology depends on the sensorial experience of a product, which includes how a product looks, feels, smells, tastes and sounds. It reflects the perception of the product’s physical attributes in a real world experience. The result of the creation of meaning and emotional associations of the product is what connects customers emotionally to objects. This methodology evaluates “Impressions, feelings and emotions which are often a result of an external sensory stimuli” (Shütte et al, 2008, p. 478).
Design Persona
Persona is a design methodology that allows a designer to create a “real life” personality profile for a brand or a product. The process begins by defining a brand/product name and establishing traits of personality that characterize the brand or the product and makes it different and unique. The inclusion of an image of a ‘real person’ who embodies these personality traits helps designers to visualize the brand as a real person and understand its inner depth. The selection of the person can be a celebrity or someone the design team is familiar with. When establishing the brand traits that the product or company should display, it is important to contrast them with the undesirable personality traits to have a clear understanding of the limits of the emotional and personality traits. The process includes defining a tone of voice (the way a brand communicates and expresses itself) and the way the product interacts with the user (the vocabulary and verbal expressions). Moodboards help complete the visual cues and specifications for the brand such as colours, textures, look and feel. Including engagement methods is part of the emotional design approach for the creation of affective objects, products and brands. Engagement methods can include surprise, delight, anticipation, limiting access to elicit feelings of exclusivity, variable rewards and complementing a person (Walter, 2001; Van Gorp & Adams 2012).
References
Shütte, S., Eklund, J., Ishihara, S., Nagamachi, M., (2008) Affective meaning: The kansei engineering approach In: Schifferstein, H., & Hekkett, P. (2008). Product Experience. New York: Elseviere.
Van Gorp, T., & Adams, E. (2012) Design for emotion. Waltham, MA: Elseviere.
Walter, A. (2001) Designing for emotion. New York, NY: A Book Appart