An Investigation into 2D and 3D Shapes Perception

Numerous research results support the finding that a product\u27s visual appearance is important. In particular, end products or services that have a direct product-user interaction have to be developed in accordance with the taste of the user and the market. The user-centered product should be designed and created according to both the technical requirements and the customer needs, but it should also differentiate itself from the competition. The shape of a product, whether we observe it in 2D or 3D, should communicate various intangible meanings. Our aim was to investigate whether the meaning of bipolar adjectives varies when observing samples of 2D and 3D shapes. The study was conducted using 2D shape contour samples and interactive 3D extruded models that could be rotated in virtual space. In order to determine the relationship between the shape and the user\u27s perception of it, Kansei engineering methodology was used. We collected data with Semantic differential survey using five level Likert scale. The results revealed minor deviations in the users’ perceptions of the 2D and 3D sample shapes

Single users' affective responses models for product form design

This paper presents a neural network based approach to modeling consumers' affective responses for product form design. A theoretical framework for a single user's perception is developed. On the basis of this theoretical framework, a mathematical model which enables single users' responses to different products to be predicted was developed. The results obtained show that the mathematical models developed achieved highly accurate predictions. For the purpose of obtaining a global model various individual mathematical models were created, which were based on the opinions of users representing different groups of opinion. The results suggest that, under some conditions, the combined use of various models of individual users can perform as well as a single model generated on the basis of mean market responses.Diego-Mas, JA.; Alcaide Marzal, J. (2016). Single users' affective responses models for product form design. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics. 53:102-114. doi:10.1016/j.ergon.2015.11.005S1021145

Establishing product appearance specifications with the identification of user aesthetic needs in product conceptual design

This chapter presents the basic concepts of aesthetic needs and product specifications in conceptual design. The user aesthetics needs are considered one of the significant determinants in increasing user satisfaction. In this regard, the importance of establishing product appearance specifications to identify user aesthetic needs is discussed. A method is introduced to demonstrate the significance of considering aesthetic and emotional needs when establishing product appearance specifications in product conceptual design. To improve appearance specifications based on aesthetic experiences collected from users and designers, an approach using fuzzy logic is proposed and illustrated by a case study of digital camera design

Material Visualisation for Virtual Reality: The Perceptual Investigations

Material representation plays a significant role in design visualisation and evaluation. On one hand, the simulated material properties determine the appearance of product prototypes in digitally rendered scenes. On the other hand, those properties are perceived by the viewers in order to make important design decisions. As an approach to simulate a more realistic environment, Virtual Reality (VR) provides users a vivid impression of depth and embodies them into an immersive environment. However, the scientific understanding of material perception and its applications in VR is still fairly limited. This leads to this thesis’s research question on whether the material perception in VR is different from that in traditional 2D displays, as well as the potential of using VR as a design tool to facilitate material evaluation.       This thesis is initiated from studying the perceptual difference of rendered materials between VR and traditional 2D viewing modes. Firstly, through a pilot study, it is confirmed that users have different perceptual experiences of the same material in the two viewing modes. Following that initial finding, the research investigates in more details the perceptual difference with psychophysics methods, which help in quantifying the users’ perceptual responses. Using the perceptual scale as a measuring means, the research analyses the users’ judgment and recognition of the material properties under VR and traditional 2D display environments. In addition, the research also elicits the perceptual evaluation criteria to analyse the emotional aspects of materials. The six perceptual criteria are in semantic forms, including rigidity, formality, fineness, softness, modernity, and irregularity.       The results showed that VR could support users in making a more refined judgment of material properties. That is to say, the users perceive better the minute changes of material properties under immersive viewing conditions. In terms of emotional aspects, VR is advantageous in signifying the effects induced by visual textures, while the 2D viewing mode is more effective for expressing the characteristics of plain surfaces. This thesis has contributed to the deeper understanding of users’ perception of material appearances in Virtual Reality, which is critical in achieving an effective design visualisation using such a display medium

KEER2022

Avanttítol: KEER2022. DiversitiesDescripció del recurs: 25 juliol 202

Understanding and modeling of aesthetic response to shape and color in car body design

This study explored the phenomenon that a consumer's preference on color of car body may vary depending on shape of the car body. First, the study attempted to establish a theoretical framework that can account for this phenomenon. This framework is based on the (modern-) Darwinism approach to the so-called evolutionary psychology and aesthetics. It assumes that human's aesthetic sense works like an agent that seeks for environmental patterns that potentially afford to benefit the underlying needs of the agent, and this seeking process is evolutionary fitting. Second, by adopting the framework, a pattern called “fundamental aesthetic dimensions” was developed for identifying and modeling consumer’s aesthetic response to car body shape and color. Next, this study developed an effective tool that is capable in capturing and accommodating consumer’s color preference on a given car body shape. This tool was implemented by incorporating classic color theories and advanced digital technologies; it was named “Color-Shape Synthesizer”. Finally, an experiment was conducted to verify some of the theoretical developments. This study concluded (1) the fundamental aesthetics dimensions can be used for describing aesthetics in terms of shape and color; (2) the Color-Shape Synthesizer tool can be well applied in practicing car body designs; and (3) mapping between semantic representations of aesthetic response to the fundamental aesthetics dimensions can likely be a multiple-network structure

Kansei Engineering and cultural differences in mobile phone design

Kansei Engineering, a Japanese design method used to translate feelings into product parameters, was used to look at the mobile phone design features of the Motorola Charm, Samsung t249, and HTC HD7 in the United States. Preferences of four design features (shape, material, LCD screen size, and navigation tools) were explored in a sample population of twenty-five university students in a private Northeastern university. Six kanseis/feelings elicited by phones were determined to be important to this group: (1) Attractive, (2) Cool, (3) Durable, (4) Ergonomic, (5) Modern, and (6) User-friendly. A (generic) phone with a rectangular shape, comprised mostly of metal-like and glass material, with a large LCD screen and navigation via a touchpad was determined to be the most ideal and strongly perceived to elicit many of these kanseis. After exploring the cultural sub-groups of this sample, it was determined that there are significant cultural group differences between Chinese participants and both American and Indian participants, mainly when considering the durability (p=.008) and coolness (p=.034) of the phone feature set

Drivers of Consumers’ Emotional Engagement with Everyday Products: An Intensive Review of the Literature and an Attempt to Conceptualize the Consumer-Product Interactions Within the Emotional Design Process

This research intensively reviews the literature on designing emotional-driven products and aims to identify the drivers of the consumers’ emotional engagement with everyday products. The research also aims to develop a conceptual framework based on the basic model of product emotions and the classical process control, by which the identified emotional drivers in consumer products, the basic concerns of consumers, the context of the consumer-product interactions, and the design approach(s) would be interrelated and modeled. Furthermore, this research will study the psychological and theoretical perspectives on the human phenomenon of emotion to understand what does an emotion means, and why and how a human experiences emotion when interacts with stimulus (e.g. product), and how important and rewarding to design for emotions. The research has identified four basic concerns of every consumers; personal, cultural, social, and organizational (societal), and it suggests four emotional drivers; seeing-drivers, feeling-drivers, using-drivers, and touching-drivers. Moreover, as a result of the consumer-product interactions, two more emotional drivers are developing overtime to represent conclusive factors in consumer’s decision making process; product and brand experiences. These two emotional drivers also play the role as becoming new consumer’s concerns (emotional references) each time the consumer decide to buy a product