Short answer

Designers must actively consider and design for the aesthetic, meaningful, and emotional dimensions of user interaction to create truly engaging products.

Field
User-Centred Design
Source
Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (2007)
Method
Conceptual framework development and theoretical analysis.
Evidence
Moderate effect

Effective product design considers not only sensory appeal but also the user's ability to imbue the product with personal significance and evoke distinct emotional responses. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2007 study published in Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS). Using Conceptual framework development and theoretical analysis., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers must actively consider and design for the aesthetic, meaningful, and emotional dimensions of user interaction to create truly engaging products.

Study
User-Centred DesignHigh ImpactModerate effect

Product experience is multi-layered: Aesthetic, Meaning, and Emotional.

Effective product design considers not only sensory appeal but also the user's ability to imbue the product with personal significance and evoke distinct emotional responses.

Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) · 2007

01

Key Findings

  • 01Product experience can be categorized into three distinct but related levels: aesthetic, meaning, and emotional.
  • 02Each level of product experience has its own underlying psychological processes.
  • 03Aesthetic experience relates to sensory delight, meaning experience to personal and symbolic significance, and emotional experience to core emotions elicited by the product's relational meaning.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Designers must actively consider and design for the aesthetic, meaningful, and emotional dimensions of user interaction to create truly engaging products.

How to apply

When developing a new product, create design personas that consider not only user needs but also their potential aesthetic preferences, how they might assign meaning to the product, and the emotional states it could elicit.

Project actions

  • 01When evaluating existing products, analyze them through the lens of aesthetic, meaning, and emotional experience.
  • 02In your own design projects, explicitly plan how you will address each of these three aspects of user experience.
03

Method & Evidence

AimTo develop a comprehensive framework for understanding and designing product experience.
MethodConceptual framework development and theoretical analysis.
ProcedureThe researchers proposed a three-component framework for product experience (aesthetic, meaning, and emotional) and described the underlying processes for each, drawing on existing psychological theories.
ContextProduct design and human-computer interaction.

Variables

IV["Product design features (aesthetic, functional, symbolic)","User characteristics (personal values, past experiences)"]
DV["User's aesthetic appreciation","User's perceived meaning of the product","User's emotional response to the product"]
CV["Product context of use","User's familiarity with similar products"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Provides a comprehensive and structured way to think about product experience.
  • +Integrates insights from psychology into design practice.

Limitations

It can be challenging to objectively measure 'meaning' and 'emotional' experience, often relying on subjective user feedback.

Reliability & validity

The reliability of findings would depend on consistent measurement of subjective user responses. Validity would be strengthened by using a diverse range of products and participants, and by triangulating findings with behavioral observations.

Think critically

How might the relative importance of aesthetic, meaning, and emotional experience vary across different product categories or user demographics?

05

Design Principles

"Design for a multi-layered product experience by addressing sensory appeal, personal meaning, and emotional resonance."

Understanding the distinct yet interconnected layers of product experience—aesthetic, meaning, and emotional—allows designers to move beyond mere functionality and visual appeal. This framework provides a structured approach to designing for deeper user engagement and satisfaction, leading to products that resonate more profoundly with individuals.

06

What This Means for Your Design

Think about how a product looks and feels (aesthetic), what it means to someone personally (meaning), and how it makes them feel (emotional).

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use this framework to structure your analysis of user experience, identifying how your design choices impact aesthetic, meaning, and emotional responses.
  • 2.Justify design decisions by referencing how they aim to enhance specific layers of product experience.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

The product experience framework by Desmet and Hekkert (2007) posits that user interaction with a product unfolds across three distinct yet interconnected levels: aesthetic (sensory delight), meaning (personal and symbolic significance), and emotional (core emotions elicited by relational appraisal). This model highlights that effective design must consider not only the product's form and function but also its capacity to engage users on deeper psychological levels, fostering a more profound and lasting connection.

09

Source

Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS)

Framework of product experience

journal · 2007

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about product experience is multi-layered: aesthetic, meaning, and emotional?
Designers must actively consider and design for the aesthetic, meaningful, and emotional dimensions of user interaction to create truly engaging products. Evidence: Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (2007).
Why does "Product experience is multi-layered: Aesthetic, Meaning, and Emotional." matter for design?
Understanding the distinct yet interconnected layers of product experience—aesthetic, meaning, and emotional—allows designers to move beyond mere functionality and visual appeal. This framework provides a structured approach to designing for deeper user engagement and satisfaction, leading to products that resonate more profoundly with individuals.
How can designers apply this research?
Designers must actively consider and design for the aesthetic, meaningful, and emotional dimensions of user interaction to create truly engaging products.
What were the main findings?
Product experience can be categorized into three distinct but related levels: aesthetic, meaning, and emotional.. Each level of product experience has its own underlying psychological processes.. Aesthetic experience relates to sensory delight, meaning experience to personal and symbolic significance, and emotional experience to core emotions elicited by the product's relational meaning.
What research method was used?
Conceptual framework development and theoretical analysis..
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2007 journal from Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS).
What should I do differently in my next project?
When developing a new product, create design personas that consider not only user needs but also their potential aesthetic preferences, how they might assign meaning to the product, and the emotional states it could elicit.
What are the limitations?
The framework is theoretical and may require empirical validation across diverse product types and user groups.