Abstract

Apart from the satisfaction of fulfilling a utilitarian function, a product can give its user pleasure, not only in terms of its ergonomic fit but also through its aesthetic qualities (qualities pertaining to beauty) (MacDonald, 1998). The issue of pleasure in product design has received growing attention in recent years. As a result, the goal of human factors in product development enlarges from the relief of pain and discomfort and from contributing to the creation of safe and usable products to promoting the pleasures that products can bring to their users (Jordan & MacDonald, 1998). Our objectives in this article are to discuss basic premises underlying theoretical constructs on ‘pleasure with products’, showing, at the same time, people’s positioning towards this new approach to ergonomic product design, and, most important, stimulate ideas for innovative pleasurable designs and for research to build pleasure into products.