Short answer
Consider the potential for products to become companions, not just tools, and design for emotional resonance and long-term user engagement.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Robotics (2018)
- Method
- Mixed Methods Study
- Sample
- 83 participants
- Evidence
- Moderate effect
Users form significant non-sexual, companionship-based relationships with anthropomorphic objects, extending beyond their intended primary function. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2018 study published in Robotics. Using Mixed methods study with 83 participants, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Consider the potential for products to become companions, not just tools, and design for emotional resonance and long-term user engagement.
Beyond Sexual Function: Exploring Non-Sexual Companionship with Anthropomorphic Objects
Users form significant non-sexual, companionship-based relationships with anthropomorphic objects, extending beyond their intended primary function.
Robotics · 2018
Key Findings
- 01A high prevalence of non-sexual, companionship dynamics between users and dolls.
- 02User reservations regarding future robotic developments in anthropomorphic objects.
- 03The term 'allodoll' is proposed to describe broader, non-sexual relationships with these objects.
Application
Design takeaway
Consider the potential for products to become companions, not just tools, and design for emotional resonance and long-term user engagement.
How to apply
When designing products intended for personal use, explore how users might form emotional attachments and consider features that support these connections, even if not explicitly functional.
Project actions
- 01When researching user needs, ask open-ended questions about feelings and relationships with the product.
- 02Consider the long-term interaction a user might have with a product and how that relationship could evolve.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Explores a novel and under-researched area of human-object interaction.
- +Uses a mixed-methods approach to gather rich qualitative data.
Limitations
It can be challenging to objectively measure emotional attachment, and user self-reporting may be influenced by social desirability.
Reliability & validity
Thematic analysis provides rich qualitative data, but the reliance on self-reported data and a specific online community may limit generalizability and introduce bias, impacting external validity.
Think critically
How might the design of an object influence the type and depth of emotional connection a user forms with it?
Design Principles
"Design for emotional connection and evolving user needs, recognizing that functionality can extend to psychological and social well-being."
This challenges a purely functional design perspective, highlighting the potential for products to fulfill deeper emotional and social needs. Designers should consider the broader spectrum of user interaction and emotional attachment that can develop with their creations.
What This Means for Your Design
People sometimes form friendships with objects like realistic dolls, not just for their intended use, but for companionship. This means designers should think about how objects can make people feel connected.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify exploring user emotional needs in your design project, even if your product has a primary functional purpose.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
Research indicates that users often develop significant non-sexual companionship dynamics with anthropomorphic objects, extending their perceived utility beyond initial design intent. This suggests that design practice should consider the potential for products to fulfill emotional and social needs, fostering deeper user engagement and attachment.
Source
Robotics
Beyond the Sex Doll: Post-Human Companionship and the Rise of the ‘Allodoll’
journal · 2018
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about beyond sexual function: exploring non-sexual companionship with anthropomorphic objects?
- Consider the potential for products to become companions, not just tools, and design for emotional resonance and long-term user engagement. Evidence: Robotics (2018).
- Why does "Beyond Sexual Function: Exploring Non-Sexual Companionship with Anthropomorphic Objects" matter for design?
- This challenges a purely functional design perspective, highlighting the potential for products to fulfill deeper emotional and social needs. Designers should consider the broader spectrum of user interaction and emotional attachment that can develop with their creations.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Consider the potential for products to become companions, not just tools, and design for emotional resonance and long-term user engagement.
- What were the main findings?
- A high prevalence of non-sexual, companionship dynamics between users and dolls.. User reservations regarding future robotic developments in anthropomorphic objects.. The term 'allodoll' is proposed to describe broader, non-sexual relationships with these objects.
- What research method was used?
- Mixed Methods Study with 83 participants.
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2018 journal from Robotics.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- When designing products intended for personal use, explore how users might form emotional attachments and consider features that support these connections, even if not explicitly functional.
- What are the limitations?
- The study sample was accessed through online doll forums, which may introduce bias towards specific user demographics and perspectives.