The relationship of car design attributes and user's affective needs

• Main Author: Seva, Rosemary R.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2007
• Subjects: Product design—Psychological aspects; Automobiles—Design and construction—Psychological aspects; Human Factors Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/9237
• Institution: De La Salle University

Previous studies manifested the importance of considering users' emotion when designing a product. New design methods have been proposed to scientifically integrate affect into the design process. The current study aims to relate car attributes with the intensity of affect experienced by car buyers and relate this affect intensity with their purchase intention. The products evaluated included sedans and sport utility vehicles (SUV's) manufactured by a Japanese company. More than half of the products evaluated are SUV's. The field study was conducted in showrooms of a Japanese brand car in the Philippines. Affective responses of consumers are mostly triggered by product form such as shape and dimension. For vehicles, the most important functional attributes are directly related to the primary need of the consumer. In this study, only one functional characteristic proved to be important which is related to engine power. Intense experience of affect triggered a greater chance of purchasing the product. Intense feelings of encouragement and hopefulness determine purchase intention. Keywords: affective product design, multiple linear regression, vehicle design, product form