Do You Feel Bored? The Role of Positive and Negative Emotions for Product Design Success: An Abstract

Abstract

Previous research shows that product design affects consumer emotions and behavior, and thus, generates competitive advantage. To date, however, most of the studies on product design focus on positive emotions and neglect the influence of product design on negative emotions (e.g., Fokkinga & Desmet, 2012). Negative emotions and the coexistence of positive and negative emotions as well as their effects on consumer behavior have been largely neglected (Chitturi, 2009). Similarly, little research in industrial design and marketing has explored the role of single emotions (e.g., joy, boredom). Results of an online experiment (n = 179, Mage = 33.00 years, 53.10% male) reveal that the influence of the three product design dimensions aesthetics, functionality, and symbolism on consumer purchase intention and word-of-mouth behavior (WOM) is mediated by positive consumer emotions. Negative consumer emotions also mediate the relationship between product design and purchase intention, while they are of little relevance for WOM. To gain deeper insights into the mediating effect of single emotions, a disaggregated perspective with 14 single emotions is applied. It becomes apparent that desire, hope, pride, and satisfaction, induced by product design, impact consumer behavior, while joy has the strongest influence. Regarding negative emotions, particularly boredom, in addition to shame and contempt, inhibits purchase intention and WOM for all three dimensions of product design. This paper examines the entire chain of effects from product design over consumer emotions to relevant success metrics (i.e., purchase intention and WOM) and shows that in addition to positive emotions, negative emotions evoked by product design also shape consumer behavior. While WOM is almost exclusively driven by positive emotions, both positive and negative emotions affect purchase intention. Results further reveal joy as a driver and boredom as an inhibitor of purchase intention and WOM. To create joy in consumers, product design should be innovative in aesthetics and functionality to meet consumers’ aim for novelty and change. Marketers should also ensure that the product design generates interest and excitement through aesthetic and functional design features and provides consumers with the opportunity to express themselves through product design, to particularly counteract the negative emotion of boredom. This research crosses the bridge between product design research, emotions, and consumer behavior to generate novel knowledge for academia and management.