Factors influencing visual comfort appreciation of the product form of digital cameras

Abstract

Abstract In today's competitive market, it really matters whether a product looks or feels right. In this study, visual comfort has been examined from the standpoint of a consumer's sense of looking or feeling at ease with a product. The purpose of this study is threefold: (1) to explore the mechanisms that impact a consumer's visual comfort in perceiving product forms, (2) to investigate the relationships between form features and perceptions of visual comfort with respect to product forms, (3) to foster a Kansei hierarchical framework for the product design specification of visual comfort. To achieve these goals, this study has utilized hierarchical grouping tasks and semantic differential experiments to explore the features of product forms that determine visual comfort. The study results indicate that a product's visual comfort is evaluated according to its total image, color, texture, interface, functions, and line elements. For digital camera design, product samples that feature high visual comfort have simple and compact images. This confirms the Gestalt psychologists’ and Berlyne's points of view whereby products with simplicity of style are more likely to catch people's eyes. Overall, the total image of a product form including its hi-tech style, unity, simplicity, quality texture, and a proper proportion is the mechanism that determines the evaluation of visual comfort. To enhance the degree of visual comfort esthetics in digital camera design, design specifications that cover a simple image, a bright and harmonic color scheme, a big-scaled display screen for high visibility, and a quality finish are suggested. Last, a hierarchical framework is offered in different product orders to visualize the relationships between mechanisms of visual comfort appreciation and form elements of digital camera design. Following the hierarchical framework, the visual comfort perception is then transformed into definitive design specifications for new digital camera design and development. Relevance to industry In a competitive global market, design and branding are keys to product implementation and competition. The study of product esthetics will help designers and managerial staff members actualize their product form analysis at an early design stage, enhancing the effectiveness of product planning and design specifications. Moreover, such a study is particularly beneficial to novice designers as it can aid the cultivation of professional design analysis and decision-making in product styles.