An Approach to Embody Personality in Product Appearance

Durable products are often described by users relying on personality traits, e.g. serious or happy. Understanding the relationships between product attributes and personality traits has the potential to influence product consumption. This article explores the possibility of designing product appearance with predefined personalities. An approach to embody specific personality traits in product appearance is introduced. Using this approach two design objects were developed with the aim to embody an elegant or a provocative personality. These were used as stimuli in an assessment study. Fifty-one participants were asked to report which personality traits they could identify in these design objects. The results indicated that it is possible to direct the personality of product appearance