Implications For Product Design Research Articles

EXPRESS: How stable are taste-shape crossmodal correspondences over time?

The present research investigates the stability of taste-shape crossmodal correspondences (that is, how people non-randomly associate tastes and visual shapes, such as sweetness matched to roundness) over time, exploring the temporal dimension of crossmodal interactions. While previous research has established the existence of various taste-shape crossmodal correspondences, this study addresses their consistency over time through a test-retest paradigm. Drawing parallels with the concept of synesthesia, in which stability is used as a criterion, the research focuses on taste-shape associations, a domain not previously explored for temporal stability. Participants rated the perceived curvature and symmetry that they associated with taste words (sweet, umami, sour, salty, and bitter) and their liking of tastes and shapes. The same participants performed this task three times over a two-week period. The results consistently replicated previous findings, revealing that sweet tastes were perceived as significantly more curved and symmetrical than other tastes, and umami was rated as more curved and symmetrical than sour, salty, and bitter tastes. Notably, the study found moderate-to-substantial test-retest reliability for the majority of the taste-shape correspondences, indicating robust stability over time. Analyses suggested that differences in assessments between test and retest sessions were primarily due to random error, with no systematic biases. However, a small subset of participants showed significant differences from other participants in their associations, particularly for umami-related correspondences. This research contributes to our understanding of taste-shape correspondences by demonstrating their temporal stability, offering insights into the dynamics of taste, curvature, symmetry, and liking. We posit that consistency might be used as a criterion supporting the existence of a given crossmodal correspondence. The findings have implications for product design and marketing, emphasizing the importance of considering temporal aspects when capitalizing on crossmodal correspondences in creating product expectations and experiences.

Exploring the user’s gaze during product evaluation through the semantic differential: a comparison between virtual reality and photorealistic images

Advanced product presentation methods can enhance the product evaluation experience both during the design process and online shopping, as static images often fail to convey essential product details. Virtual Reality (VR) technologies hold great potential in this regard, becoming increasingly accessible to all users. However, the influence of display mediums on emotional responses and product assessment needs further investigation, especially using physiological measures to obtain more objective insights. In this study, we investigate the influence of VR and photorealistic images on assessing and observing virtual prototypes of game controllers. The Semantic Differential technique was employed for product assessment, while built-in eye-tracking was used to measure participants’ viewing time on various areas of interest (AOIs). Our findings show that the medium significantly affects not only product evaluation and confidence in the response but also how the user observes it, with sensory-related features being particularly influenced. These findings hold practical implications for product design and vendors, as understanding the relationship between visualization mediums and product evaluation enhances the design process and improves consumer experiences.

Fractional cyclic cohesive zone model for time-dependent fatigue behavior of soft adhesives under mode-II loading

Soft adhesives exhibit nonlinear viscoelastic behavior during cyclic loading, suggesting that their cycle-dependent fatigue behavior can be significantly affected by the time-dependent deformation behavior. Soft adhesives are frequently subject to various cyclic conditions in practical applications, presenting potential safety risks. This paper has proposed a fractional cyclic cohesive zone model (CZM) to characterize the time-dependent fatigue behavior of soft adhesives. To capture the nonlinear evolution of fatigue damage under asymmetric stress-controlled cyclic loading, a fatigue damage model that considers the contribution of in-situ stress/strain was incorporated into fractional-order viscoelastic model. The proposed CZM was validated through single-lap shear creep tests at various stress levels and fatigue tests at various stress amplitudes and loading periods. Furthermore, the impacts of stress ratio and peak stress level on fatigue failure under different loading periods were investigated using the proposed CZM. The results indicate that under a short loading period, the failure of the soft adhesives is primarily influenced by cycle-dependent fatigue damage, while under a long loading period, it is primarily affected by time-dependent creep deformation. Overall, this work offers a numerical strategy to describe the fatigue failure of nonlinear viscoelastic soft adhesives and to understand their time-dependent fatigue failure mechanism, with implications for product design and optimization.

Toward system innovation for more sustainable chemistry: insights into consumers’ perceptions, knowledge, and behavior related to traceability and product design strategies along leather supply chains

The leather industry is a complex system with multiple actors that faces a fundamental transition toward more sustainable chemistry. To support this process, this article analyzes challenges of the industry and consumers’ roles as a nexus of transition-relevant developments. We present findings of an empirical study (N = 439) among consumers on their perception of leather, related knowledge, and purchasing behavior. We found that participants perceived leather as natural, robust, and of high quality. Knowledge about the manufacturing of leather products was overall limited but varied. Applying a psychological behavior theory, we found that being aware of environmental and health consequences from conventional manufacturing of leather products was positively associated with a personal norm to purchase leather products that are less harmful to environment and health. The perceived ease of buying such products was positively associated with their purchase. Our findings shed light on consumers’ roles in the current leather system and their support of niche innovations toward more sustainable chemistry. Against this backdrop, we discuss implications for product design, consumer information, and needs for traceability along supply chains.

Promoting Protein Intake in an Ageing Population: Product Design Implications for Protein Fortification

Protein is a macronutrient of interest for an ageing population and intake requirements increase with age. Accordingly, protein is often fortified into products for older adults to help alleviate malnutrition and impede sarcopenia. However, more emphasis needs to be placed upon designing protein-fortified products to ensure suitability for older adults. This study involved a two-stage approach: (1) an initial review of products commonly fortified with protein and (2) two questionnaires for younger and older adults (n = 73; 18-30; 65+) to investigate optimal portion sizes (drinks and cakes) as well as attitudes, consumption habits and preferences towards protein fortification. The initial literature and market review demonstrated protein-fortified products are typically in liquid or snack format; however, there is considerable variability in terms of product types, serving size and protein sources. There were no age-related differences found for ideal cakes portion size whereas there were for liquids. Older adults are typically not consuming protein-fortified products; therefore, more importance should be placed on the consumption moment (breakfast or as snacks between meals) and on cereals, pasta, porridge, cakes, and biscuits. Older adults need increased awareness of, and more education on, the benefits of protein consumption, coupled with products tailored and designed to encourage intake.

Color‐nutrient associations: Implications for product design of dietary supplements

AbstractDietary supplements are prevalent and represent a huge (and still growing) global market. Such products are intended to enhance health and wellness as well as to supplement diets. Compared to the large amount of dietary supplements research on nutrition, dietetics, and medicine, far less research has been conducted in the realm of sensory and consumer science. Product design is undoubtedly an important element of any brand's success, no matter what the category, and can be used to convey various symbolic meanings to the consumer. Drawing on research on color psychology and product design, the present research aimed to clarify the associations (or expectations) that consumers have with the particular product design of dietary supplements. Across four studies, two of which were preregistered, participants were asked to choose a color that they felt best matched each of the named nutrients. The results consistently demonstrate that people associate nutrients with particular colors (i.e., color patches; Study 1) and to capsule/container color; Studies 2–4. Vitamins supplements in general, as well as vitamins C and D, in particular, were frequently matched with the colors yellow and orange. Dietary fiber supplement was often matched with green. Although mineral supplements were frequently matched with blue, each kind of mineral appeared to have its own unique association with specific colors (magnesium/iron with gray, calcium with white). Protein supplements (protein, amino acid) are frequently matched with the colors orange and red. Taken together, these findings demonstrate how people associate nutrients with specific visual design features and thus contribute practical knowledge concerning the design of dietary supplements.Practical ApplicationsOur findings provide practical implications for effective communication strategies for nutrition with the consumer. Color is an important design element, and the design of nutritional supplements and their packaging is no exception in this regard. Designers and marketers can use our findings to help create better visual designs for dietary supplements and their packaging to help meet consumers' expectations. Moreover, our findings might also be fruitfully applied to marketing communications for functional foods (e.g., vitamin‐enriched foods, mineral‐enriched foods). Marketers may be able to capitalize on our findings concerning color‐nutrition associations in order to effectively promote functional foods.

Bio-Based Plastics in a Circular Economy: An Overview of Recovery Pathways and Implications for Product Design

Bio-Based Plastics in a Circular Economy: An Overview of Recovery Pathways and Implications for Product Design

When imperfect is preferred: the differential effect of aesthetic imperfections on choice of processed and unprocessed foods

Some companies design processed foods to contain aesthetic imperfections such as non-uniformities in shape, color, or texture. Simultaneously, consumers annually discard millions of pounds of unprocessed, safe-to-eat fruits and vegetables owing to aesthetic imperfections. Why design processed foods with aesthetic imperfections when people discard unprocessed foods because of them? Seven studies, including a choice study at a grocery store and an incentive-compatible study, show that the effect of aesthetic imperfections on consumer preferences depends on whether foods are unprocessed or processed. While imperfections negatively influence preferences for unprocessed foods, they positively influence preferences for processed foods. We attribute this preference shift to consumers making opposing inferences about the human care involved in producing aesthetically imperfect processed and unprocessed foods. Building on research highlighting the positive effects of human presence in production, we thus show that perceived care drives food choice. We discuss implications for product design, retail promotion, and sustainability.

Feeling dark, seeing dark: Mind–body in dark tourism

Embodiment is a key under-researched component of dark tourism experiences. Qualitative and experimental methods were applied in four studies to reveal the bidirectional body–mind synchronization in dark tourism experiences. Taking the Chernobyl zone as a case, we first prove the mind-to-body pathway in which the dark experience exerts a measurable effect on the participants' sensory expression in photographs and sketches. We then discover the body-to-mind pathway in which the expressions of darkness can be decoded by others. Furthermore, this study illustrates how the different dark levels of the product photos on a website affect the potential tourists' feelings. This study expands the understanding of embodiment theory in dark tourism with implications for product design and marketing.

Effects of line length, orientation angle, and drawing direction on the straight‐line drawing performance of elderly Taiwanese adults during iPad use

AbstractThe present study investigated the effects of drawing direction (top‐down or bottom‐up) and orientation angle (0°, 60°, or 300°) on the stability of straight‐line drawing with varied line length (5.7, 11.4, or 17.1 cm) of elderly Taiwanese adults. These three independent variables were within‐subject factors. In total, 38 elderly adults participated. The straight‐line drawing task was performed on an iPad using an electronic pen. Straight‐line drawing performance was analyzed using three‐way repeated analysis of variance measures. The results indicated that the error rate was significantly higher in the top‐down condition than in the bottom‐up condition and was higher for the 5.7‐cm line length than for the 11.4 or 17.1 cm lengths. In addition, the average drawing speed in the top‐down condition was significantly greater than that in the bottom‐up condition and was significantly greater at 17.1 and 11.4 cm than at 5.7 cm. The orientation angle also significantly affected the average drawing speed, which demonstrated that the 60° condition yielded a significantly greater speed than the 0° or 300° conditions. Our findings have implications for product design and computer–human interface design for seniors. Further studies are needed to determine whether these findings can be generalized to more complex motor movements and cognitive abilities.

Effects of frequency and duration of sound stimuli on hearing threshold increments among hearing-impaired individuals in Taiwan

This study investigated the effects of hearing type (with or without earphones) and sound stimulus exposure duration (90 s, 105 s, and 120 s) on increments in the hearing threshold with sound stimulation at various frequencies (125 Hz, 1,000 Hz, and 6,000 Hz), using an ascending run, in 48 hearing-impaired individuals. A 2 (hearing type) × 3 (sound stimulus exposure duration) × 3 (frequency of stimulus noise) repeated-measures design and an ascending method of limits was used in the experiment. Increments of the hearing threshold of the participants were analyzed using three-way repeated-measures analysis of variance. We found that the increase in hearing threshold was significant when participants wore earphones than when they did not. The hearing threshold increment was higher when the duration of sound exposure was 120 s and 105 s than when it was 90 s; moreover, the increment in the hearing threshold for a sound exposure duration of 105 s was less than that for 120 s. The frequency of the sound stimulus also affected increments in the hearing threshold: 1000 Hz was associated with a larger hearing threshold increment than were 125 Hz and 6000 Hz; however, there was no difference in the hearing threshold between 125 Hz and 6000 Hz stimuli. Our findings have implications for design of products for the hearing-impaired, for example, the design of card-sensing sounds and siren sounds, which are related to safety issues.

Determinants of consumers’ remanufactured products purchase intentions: Evidence from China

Previous studies have examined the main factors that influence consumer acceptance of remanufactured products based on the theory of planned behaviour (TPB). However, researchers have not yet conducted detailed studies to classify the variables of TPB. In the present research, this gap is addressed by using a TPB model which (1) differentiates attitude into experiential attitude and instrumental attitude, (2) differentiates subjective norm into normative social influence and informational social influence, and (3) differentiates perceived behavioural control into product knowledge, perceived risk, and perceived inconvenience. In this study, past experience and the interaction effect of attitude and subjective norm are also considered. The research results suggest that experiential and instrumental attitude, normative and informational social influence, product knowledge, and past experience are positive determinants of consumers’ purchase intentions toward remanufactured products, while perceived inconvenience and perceived risk are negative determinants. Furthermore, the findings also suggest that the interaction effects of experiential attitude and subjective norms positively affect purchase intentions, whereas the interaction effects of instrumental attitude and subjective norms have a negative effect. Based on the research conclusions, this study concludes with a discussion of proposals for improving consumers’ remanufactured product purchase intentions, implications for product design and manufacturing, limitations of the current study, and recommendations for further research.

When Big Objects Mean a Small Sense of Ownership

The size of a product is a key feature of its appearance and it also potentially affects object use. Six studies explore how size alienates even experienced consumers from objects when it affects perceptions of control over those objects. Findings from different product categories, acquisition and consumption stages, and laboratory and field data show that size-induced loss of control impedes the psychological bond between the product and the individual — i.e. psychological ownership — and eventually diminishes the managerially relevant allure of large objects. Notably, visual inspection alone does not give rise to this adverse effect of too-large sizes; it is contingent on physical engagement with an object. Moreover, we show that perceived control over an object is not only a function of the object’s size but also of the physical characteristic of the consumer engaging with it. Our results entail implications for product design, sales, and marketing communication.

Self-organizing production systems: Implications for product design

Current developments in production systems and production control will lead to a significant change of their connection to product development. A representative example of these developments is the concept of self-organizing production systems. This paper focuses on appropriate changes of the development process evoked through recent developments in production. The paper summarizes process changes and opportunities for the development process, which include the vision of self-organizing production systems, its challenges and opportunities. Consequences are estimated for established development methodologies like the V-model and aspects of Systems Engineering.

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRODUCT DESIGN AND INDUSTRY 4.0

IMPLICATIONS FOR PRODUCT DESIGN AND INDUSTRY 4.0

Pareidolia: characterising facial anthropomorphism and its implications for product design

This work highlights the phenomenon of pareidolia - the tendency to see faces in the environment, buildings and objects that surround us - and establishes its relevance for design contexts. In reviewing literature on anthropomorphism and the use of faces in design embodiment, we have shown that it is a compelling and prevalent facet of how we interpret products. By surveying 2,309 images from across the internet, we provide the first systematic investigation of product types and face characteristics (size, composition, emotion) that are manifest in this phenomenon. The most common instances were shown to be in medium-sized products, where part of the product was interpreted as a face, and that conveyed a happy emotion. The effects of culture and self-congruence are identified as important aspects of our interpretation of facial emotion. It is concluded that the fundamental geometric elements of products should be considered with respect to facial morphology, whether it be the intention to utilise its effects or not, and set out the case for more quantified guidelines on the use of pareidolia and anthropomorphism in design.

Pareidolia: characterising facial anthropomorphism and its implications for product design

Pareidolia: characterising facial anthropomorphism and its implications for product design

Benefit-Based Conjoint Analysis

Firms develop products by manipulating the attributes of offerings, and consumers derive utility from the benefits that the attributes afford. While the field of marketing has long been aware of the distinction between attributes and benefits, it has not developed methods for understanding how attributes and benefits are related. This paper develops a benefit-based model for conjoint analysis that assumes consumers satiate on attributes that are perceived to provide the same benefit. A latent-variable model is proposed that estimates the map between attributes and benefits, and is applied to data from two conjoint studies involving a durable product and a household consumable. The model is shown to fit the data better, provide improved predictions, and lead to different product design implications than the standard conjoint model.Data, as supplemental material, are available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/mksc.2016.1003 .

Pawning n00bs: Insights into perceptions of brand extensions of the video game industry

This paper examines gamers' perceptions of video game brand extensions through a grounded-theory qualitative methodology. Results of the focus groups and interviews reveal deep and highly contextual information pertaining to gamer characteristics (discernment and fanaticism) and extension characteristics (affordability, collectability, fit, identity-projection, and ownership), as well as the moderating roles of marketing effectiveness, interpersonal influences, and inelasticity of demand on gaming brand equity. Results provide substantial academic value and deeper insights into this culturally and economically significant industry, with distinct implications for product design, consumer segmentation, and promotion.

Design Implications of Extended Producer Responsibility for Durable Products

We analyze product design implications of extended producer responsibility (EPR)-based take-back legislation on durable goods. In particular, we observe that durable product design incentives under EPR may involve an inherent trade-off that has not been explored to date: Durable goods producers can respond to EPR by making their products more recyclable or more durable, where the former decreases the unit recycling cost and the latter reduces the volume the producer has to recycle. When these two design attributes do not go hand in hand, as is the case for many product categories, product design implications of EPR can be counterintuitive. We find that more stringent collection targets (defined as the portion of total product volume to be collected) or recycling targets (defined as the portion of each collected product unit to be recycled) may imply reduced recyclability or durability. Moreover, although collection and recycling targets appear to be similar EPR implementation levers for increasing the total amount of materials recycled, they, in fact, have opposing effects in driving producers’ design choices. As a result, EPR may have unintended consequences for the environment. A calibrated numerical study on the photovoltaic panel (PVP) industry allows us to show that more stringent EPR requirements (such as those proposed by the recent recast of the WEEE directive) can lead to a PVP technology choice with lower recyclability and higher durability and, consequently, result in higher greenhouse gas emissions. These results call for a careful analysis of the benefits of EPR legislation in the context of durable goods. The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2018.3072 . This paper was accepted by Vishal Gaur, operations management.