Design for desirability is the creation of relevant, desirable and meaningful experiences in products and user-product interactions. It addresses the user’s aspiration of owning and using the product. This is related to personal identity, cultural and social values, and self-representation. In order to be successful, the product must be more desirable than the competition.
Published in Chapter:
Design for Desirability: A Collaborative Innovation-Initiative between New Zealand Design Academia and Industry
Mark Goellner (Massey University, New Zealand), Anders Warell (Lund University, Sweden), Rodney Adank (Massey University, New Zealand), Lyn Garrett (Massey University, New Zealand), and Tony Parker (Massey University, New Zealand)
Copyright: © 2011
|Pages: 20
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-61520-617-9.ch017
Abstract
This chapter outlines an innovative and collaborative design research project that connects New Zealand SME manufacturers with advanced design thinking about affective design. This project was developed and implemented by the centre for affective design research (Affect) at Massey University. Design researchers and five NZ companies have collaborated to foster ‘design-for-desirability’ thinking and develop capabilities by means of knowledge sharing, enterprise training and individualised projects. This created visionary product concepts utilizing the perceptual product experience framework (Warell, 2008). The chapter provides a novel model for collaboration between industry and academia that focuses on implementing ‘design-for-desirability’ thinking in SME companies with the aim of improving their international competitiveness. Well-designed, functional products are expected in today’s competitive global markets. Gaining success in global markets requires a step beyond this level of usability in order to develop products that are desirable and appeal to the users on emotional, social and intuitive levels.