Emotional Resonance in Automotive Design: A Human-Centred Approach

Why It Matters

This research highlights that beyond functional requirements, the emotional impact of design elements significantly influences user perception and satisfaction. Designers can leverage this understanding to create more engaging and desirable automotive experiences.

Key Finding

The study found that the emotional impact of car interiors is a significant factor in user experience, influenced by specific design choices and individual user perceptions.

Key Findings

• Specific design elements (e.g., lighting, materials, layout) elicit distinct emotional responses.
• Users' emotional experiences are shaped by their personal associations and expectations.
• A human-centred approach that prioritizes emotional design can lead to enhanced user satisfaction.

Research Evidence

Aim: To investigate how emotional experiences are evoked by automotive interior design elements and to develop a human-centred framework for designing for affective responses.

Method: Qualitative research, including user interviews and scenario-based analysis.

Procedure: The research involved in-depth interviews with participants to explore their emotional responses to various automotive interior scenarios and design features. These qualitative data were then analyzed to identify patterns and themes related to affective experience.

Context: Automotive interior design

Design Principle

Design for emotional resonance by understanding and integrating user affective responses into the design process.

How to Apply

When designing any user-facing product, consider how different design elements (color, texture, form, sound, light) might evoke specific emotions and how these align with the intended user experience.

Limitations

The study's findings may be subjective and dependent on individual participant experiences and cultural backgrounds. The specific context of automotive interiors might limit generalizability to other product design domains without adaptation.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: When you design things, think about how people will *feel* when they use them, not just how they work. For cars, this means things like the mood set by the lights or the feel of the seats can make a big difference.

Why This Matters: Understanding user emotions is key to creating products that people connect with and enjoy using, which is a core goal in many design projects.

Critical Thinking: How can designers effectively measure and validate the emotional impact of their designs, especially when user emotions are subjective and context-dependent?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This research underscores the critical role of affective design in user experience. By adopting a human-centred approach that actively investigates and integrates emotional responses, designers can move beyond functional utility to create products that foster deeper user connection and satisfaction, as demonstrated by the focus on emotional resonance in automotive interiors.

Project Tips

• When researching user needs, ask questions that probe emotional reactions (e.g., 'How does this make you feel?', 'What memories does this bring back?').
• Consider using mood boards or emotional palettes to represent desired user feelings in your design concepts.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this research when discussing the importance of user emotional response in your design process, particularly when justifying design choices aimed at creating a specific user feeling.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an awareness of the psychological and emotional impact of design choices, not just their functional aspects.

Independent Variable: Design elements (e.g., lighting, materials, layout, color)

Dependent Variable: User's emotional response (e.g., feelings of comfort, excitement, stress, luxury)

Controlled Variables: Participant demographics, prior experience with similar products, specific usage scenarios

Strengths

• Focuses on a crucial but often overlooked aspect of design: emotional experience.
• Employs a user-centred methodology to gather rich qualitative data.

Critical Questions

• To what extent can emotional responses be generalized across different user groups or cultures?
• How can designers translate abstract emotional goals into concrete design specifications?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the application of affective design principles in a specific product category, conducting user research to identify emotional needs and proposing design solutions to meet them.

Source

Affective scenarios in automotive design : a human-centred approach towards understanding of emotional experience · Brunel University Research Archive (BURA) (Brunel University London) · 2019