Which senses dominate at different stages of product experience?

In the area of product design, sensory dominance can be defined as the relative importance of different sensory modalities for product experience. Since product experience is multisensory, it is interesting to know which sensory modality plays a leading role in a particular experience, so that designers could concentrate on the creation of the most relevant product properties. It is often assumed that vision dominates other senses. In the present study, we investigated the importance of different sensory modalities during various episodes of product usage. We asked 120 respondents to describe their experiences with consumer products in the following situations: while buying a product, after the first week, the first month, and the first year of usage. The data suggest that the dominant modality depends on the period of product usage. At the moment of buying, vision is the most important modality, but at later stages other modalities become more important. The dominance of a particular modality may depend on its appropriateness for the particular task. During long-term usage, modality importance depends on product functions and the characteristics of the user-product interaction. We conclude that to create a long-lasting positive product experience, designers need to consider the user-product interaction at different stages of product usage and to determine which sensory modality dominates product experience at each stage. Keywords: Sensory Dominance; User-Product Interaction; Product Design</p

RANGE AND NUMBER-OF-LEVELS EFFECTS IN DERIVED AND STATED MEASURES OF ATTRIBUTE IMPORTANCE

We study how the range of variation and the number of attribute levels affect five measures of attribute importance: full profile conjoint estimates, ranges in attribute level attractiveness ratings, regression coefficients, graded paired comparisons, and self-reported ratings. We find that all importance measures are affected by the range manipulation. The number of attribute levels affects only two measures. The results allow us to benchmark the magnitude of the number-of-levels effect against the range effect: conjoint importance estimates were approximately equally affected by a threefold increase in the range of attribute variation and by the insertion of two intermediate attribute levels. Our findings show that the number-of-levels effect is most likely due to respondents’ tendencies to distribute their mental stimulus representations and their responses uniformly over the corresponding continua.attribute importance, context effects, conjoint analysis, Research Methods/ Statistical Methods,

Factors contributing to product experience: The cases of 'warmth' and 'freshness'

Designers can manipulate physical properties of a product: they can change its colour, texture and smell. But can we also predict people’s product experiences such as ‘freshness’ and ‘warmth’? We collected 10 smells and 10 colours for freshness, and 10 textures and 10 colours for warmth. Participants evaluated the freshness of 20 stimuli for a softdrink and a dishwashing liquid, and the warmth of 20 stimuli for a scarf and a tray. The results showed that sensory experiences (freshness and warmth) include affective components (pleasantness and comfort) and depend on the product. Our findings imply that ‘freshness’ and ‘warmth’ are complex product experiences that integrate sensory, affective, and semantic components. To predict users’ reactions to products we need to take into account all three components of these experiences

Changes in appearance during the spoilage process of fruits and vegetables: Implications for consumer use and disposal

People waste a lot of food, especially at the consumption stage in consumer households. Despite the urgency of this topic, little is known about how consumers use visual inspection to decide to throw away fruits and vegetables at different stages of ripening and spoilage. We presented 366 US consumers with images of a banana, mango, cucumber, and avocado in 5 stages of decay in an online study and we determined how signs of decay affected participants’ consumption, preparation and disposal behaviors. As expected, product attractiveness, freshness, healthiness, and nutritiousness decreased, while the degree of decay, overripeness, and disgust increased over time. The number of people willing to consume the product was linearly related to the perceived proportion of the product affected by decay, while the number of people wanting to cut off bad parts was highest when about 40% of the product was judged to be affected. As time went on, the banana was cooked and mashed more often, while the cucumber was peeled more often. As growing, ripening and decay differ considerably between agricultural products, it is important to take sensory and preparation differences into account when investigating consumption and disposal behaviors.Design Aesthetic

Food design: An interdisciplinary quest for progress

Design Aesthetic

Supporting food design with consumer research: from inspiration and validation to participation and integration

To increase practical relevance, scientific research on food design is slowly shifting toward studying real-life food situations, letting go of experimental control to allow creative freedom, and studying design considerations during the creative process. On the other hand, some chefs and food designers have started to develop collaborative activities with academic professionals and involve researchers in their work who can conduct sensory tests of their cooking efforts. Some design researchers try to obtain general principles of interest from the creation and evaluation of food prototypes, for example in digital gastronomy, while using playfulness to increase dining engagement, or while trying to promote healthier and more sustainable food practices. This mutual cross-fertilization can enrich research activities and refine design and culinary practices.Design Aesthetic

What design can bring to the food industry

Even though designers are specifically trained to create and build new products, their contribution to innovation in the food industry is relatively small. The industry seems unfamiliar with the ways in which designers operate and may be unaware of the added value they may provide. Therefore, this article identifies the potential roles that designers could fulfil within large food companies. The development of new consumer products requires knowledge of target consumers, production technology and the business environment. These three types of expertise are often concentrated in different departments. Although highly experienced product experts suchas culinary chefs may be able to integrate this knowledge, involving designers may be a more fruitful strategy. First of all, designers tend to approach design challenges holistically, which broadens the scope of the project. As a consequence, designers will provide more innovative solutions, which can guide multiple project aspects simultaneously (production, packaging, marketing). Second, designers shape their own tools, which will engage the others involved. Third, designers are equipped to manage the product development process and can facilitate cooperation between the disciplinaryexperts. Fourth, designers can play a role in bringing together and integrating the knowledge from the different disciplines. By strengthening these roles, large food companies can deliver innovations that address actual consumer needs, provide a positive contribution to society and consolidate long-term profitability and growth. For designers, foods represent interesting prototyping materials, which are firmly rooted in daily, cultural practices and can be enjoyed through all the senses. Their regional, seasonal and perishable character challenges designers to connect consumers with agriculture, trading and processing methods.Design Aesthetic

Changing food behaviors in a desirable direction

Affluent societies face several challenges involving the relationships between people and their food, including the rise of welfare diseases and the huge amount of food wasted. These problems are partly due to the operation of the market economy, in which companies develop products that cater to momentary desires of individual consumers. To tackle societal problems, we need to develop different approaches in line with people’s long-term goals and providing benefits to the community, the environment, and society. To achieve enduring changes in behavior, designers can create series of interventions that address all stages people typically go through. In addition, designers, companies and users should be prepared to share the responsibility associated with the potential impact of new product introductionsDesign Aesthetic

Designing Food Experiences: A Multi-Sensory Approach

Food experiences extend beyond the eating of food. They may involve fantasizing about food, perceiving the venue where you buy or consume it, seeing or smelling the food from a distance, touching its package or container, the tools you use to prepare and cook, the cutlery you use to eat a dish, the way you dispose of the leftovers, and so on. In each of these stages, multiple sensory impressions conveyed by the senses of touch, audition, smell, vision and taste contribute to the overall experience. This section presents a structured design approach in which all sensory modalities are aligned to contribute to the same product expression over multiple stages of consumer interactions. The approach is illustrated through a graduation project aiming to enhance the experience of homemade cooking while using a kitchen appliance.Design Aesthetic