Study
Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactModerate effect

Digital Consumption Objects Create Consumer Lock-in Through 'Possession Work'

Companies can leverage consumer labor in the creation and personalization of digital products to create a form of market lock-in, where consumers' efforts to make these items their own inadvertently bind them more tightly to the company's ecosystem.

Journal of the Association for Consumer Research · 2016

01

Key Findings

  • 01Consumers' efforts to personalize digital objects (possession work) can paradoxically increase their entanglement with the market.
  • 02This 'possession work' transforms digital objects into assets for companies while being perceived as possessions by consumers.
  • 03This creates a new form of consumer lock-in, distinct from traditional brand loyalty or technical dependencies.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Design systems that allow for meaningful personalization, but be mindful that this can create a subtle form of lock-in, requiring careful consideration of user autonomy and long-term value.

How to apply

When designing digital products or services, analyze how user customization features might contribute to a user's difficulty in switching to a competitor.

Project actions

  • 01Consider how features that allow users to customize or create content within a digital product might influence user retention.
  • 02Investigate the psychological impact of 'ownership' in digital versus physical products.
03

Method & Evidence

AimHow does the 'possession work' performed by consumers on digital consumption objects contribute to consumer lock-in within market relations?
MethodConceptual analysis and comparative study
ProcedureThe researchers analyzed existing literature on digital prosumption and consumer labor, comparing the concept of 'possession work' in digital contexts to other forms of consumer lock-in such as brand attachment, proprietary systems, and access-based models.
ContextDigital product design and business models

Variables

IVConsumer 'possession work' on digital consumption objects.
DVConsumer lock-in within market relations.
CVTypes of digital consumption objects, company business models, existing consumer behavior.
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Introduces a novel concept ('possession work') to explain digital consumer behavior.
  • +Provides a critical perspective on the valorization of consumer labor in the digital economy.

Limitations

The study is theoretical and doesn't provide quantitative data on how many users are affected or the degree of lock-in.

Reliability & validity

The conceptual nature of the study means reliability and validity are assessed through the coherence of the argument and its grounding in existing theory, rather than empirical measurement.

Think critically

To what extent does the perceived value of a digital 'possession' influence the strength of this consumer lock-in?

05

Design Principles

"Personalization can foster engagement but must be balanced with user agency to avoid unintended consumer lock-in."

Understanding how digital products can create consumer lock-in is crucial for designers and strategists. It highlights the potential for long-term customer relationships, but also raises ethical considerations regarding exploitation and the user's sense of ownership.

06

What This Means for Your Design

When you spend time making a digital thing (like a game character or a playlist) your own, it can actually make it harder for you to stop using that service or switch to another one.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Use this research to discuss the long-term user engagement strategies in your design project, particularly for digital products.
  • 2.Critically evaluate how your design choices might create user dependency or lock-in.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

(2016). Possession Work on Hosted Digital Consumption Objects as Consumer Ensnarement. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. https://doi.org/10.1086/685474 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/128c58cd-d1a4-4d3c-8dda-358ea08a58b6/digital-consumption-objects-create-consumer-lock-in-through-possession-work

Paragraph starter

This research by Molesworth, Watkins, and Denegri-Knott (2016) suggests that the personalization efforts users undertake on digital consumption objects, termed 'possession work,' can inadvertently lead to consumer lock-in. This occurs as users invest in making digital items unique, which simultaneously enhances their perceived ownership and strengthens their ties to the provider's ecosystem, potentially limiting future choices.

09

Source

Journal of the Association for Consumer Research

Possession Work on Hosted Digital Consumption Objects as Consumer Ensnarement

journal · 2016

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about digital consumption objects create consumer lock-in through 'possession work'?
Design systems that allow for meaningful personalization, but be mindful that this can create a subtle form of lock-in, requiring careful consideration of user autonomy and long-term value. Evidence: Journal of the Association for Consumer Research (2016).
Why does "Digital Consumption Objects Create Consumer Lock-in Through 'Possession Work'" matter for design?
Understanding how digital products can create consumer lock-in is crucial for designers and strategists. It highlights the potential for long-term customer relationships, but also raises ethical considerations regarding exploitation and the user's sense of ownership.
How can designers apply this research?
Design systems that allow for meaningful personalization, but be mindful that this can create a subtle form of lock-in, requiring careful consideration of user autonomy and long-term value.
What were the main findings?
Consumers' efforts to personalize digital objects (possession work) can paradoxically increase their entanglement with the market.. This 'possession work' transforms digital objects into assets for companies while being perceived as possessions by consumers.. This creates a new form of consumer lock-in, distinct from traditional brand loyalty or technical dependencies.
What research method was used?
Conceptual analysis and comparative study.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2016 journal from Journal of the Association for Consumer Research.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing digital products or services, analyze how user customization features might contribute to a user's difficulty in switching to a competitor.
What are the limitations?
The study is primarily conceptual and does not present empirical data on the extent of this lock-in across different digital products or user groups.
Is there evidence that digital consumption affects design outcomes?
By investing time and effort into personalizing digital items, consumers become more deeply embedded in a company's ecosystem, making it harder to leave, even if the items hold personal value. Understanding how digital products can create consumer lock-in is crucial for designers and strategists. It highlights the pote Source: Journal of the Association for Consumer Research (2016).
Where does this consumption objects research apply?
Digital product design and business models It sits within innovation & design research on designdex.org.

Related research topics

digital consumption design research · evidence on digital consumption · does digital consumption improve design outcomes · consumption objects studies for designers · digital consumption and consumption objects findings · innovation & design research evidence