A method to imprint personalities into product shapes: an exploratory study

Abstract

Customers prefer products whose personality is similar to their own. Thus, the ability of designing personality-based products is key for their successful introduction to the market. We present a 5-step systematic method for helping designers to imprint personalities into product shapes under development. The use of the method is exemplified through the development of a shape representative of a given personality (elegant) and its preliminary adequacy testing through questionnaires responded by design-trained and non design-trained people. Results show that the personality imprinted in the object by the designer is better recognized when fully complying with the proposed method. We expect this work helps improving shape design training and opens the way to develop new CADbased tools supporting the form design task. Keywords: Shape design, Design methods, Conceptual design, Design education, Styling.