Product personality: an investigation into how congruent personalities identified in a target market can intentionally be assigned to a wireless speaker

Date
2015
Authors
Maunsell-Wybrants, Hayden
Supervisor
Inder, Shane
Fitchett, Dale
Item type
Exegesis
Degree name
Master of Art and Design
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Auckland University of Technology
Abstract

Consumer’s show a preference for products that communicate a personality congruent to their own. When a user perceives a product to share similar personality attributes to their own, they respond through ‘approach’ behaviour. Using an action research methodology, the project investigated how product semantic knowledge and cognitive response to form can be used to intentionally assign personality attributes to a wireless speaker. Through an assessment of existing products for specific personality attributes, and by identifying the visual dimensions that define these products, a list of visual parameters was generated for the wireless speaker design. The results from the existing product analysis, supported by knowledge gained from literature on embodiment in design and user perception of implicit design cues, were used to guide a design research process through testing and making of an artisanal nature. The results from the project support the concept that product aesthetics can be designed to intentionally express specific personality attributes guided by a designer’s intuition.

Description
Keywords
Product personality , Action research , Product design , Wireless speaker , Artisan
Source
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