Design the Sensory

G12 b

Views: 484

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2013, Common Ground Research Networks, All Rights Reserved

Abstract

The study of the interaction between users and products is now of great interest due to a renewed consideration of the communicative aspects of products. The perceptions that products cause in users have been identified as the basis systems for evaluating a product, and input of behavioural responses and therefore purchase. Indeed, users go beyond function and technology of objects but pretend to live an experience during their interaction with the product. The materials, being the main substance of the products, are the central theme of these studies and of this research. It is in fact possible to analyze the semantic and expressive meaning of object through the sensory analysis of the materials and technologies used in the project. The properties that describe the interaction between materials and users through our five senses are defined as expressive and sensory properties of materials, also called soft qualities. Thus, this research focuses on materials used in the project and how technology can affect their sensory qualities. A design tool was then created for the visualisation of technologies’ impact on materials’ sensory properties: the project cards. The project cards reorganize materials and technologies according to the sensory and expressive features to be attributed to the surface with the purpose to link technologies to the effect obtainable with materials. The objective of this research is to generate a link between material selection, processing technologies, and the expressive and sensory characterisation of materials. The aim of this study is to develop a guide that can help to project soft qualities in an appropriate way.