Design and Emotion Models in Practice: Discussion from a Design Workshop

Emotion is a rapidly growing subject of research in Design. Developing an understanding of emotion may improve user experience and allow competitive advantage for companies. Some theoretical models have been developed to explain the process in which design elicits emotions. However, few tests have been done to assess these models in the context of real design projects. Moreover, little feedback on such models has been gathered from designers. This paper compares two models of emotion and design. The first model relates to appraisal theory. The second model divides emotions into three levels: visceral, behavioural and reflective. Designers in a practical workshop made the comparison while developing design concepts, with the goal of discussing: how valuable practising designers find literature and theories on design and emotion for applying them in their practice? The main goal of this paper is to report feedback from designers that attempted to approach a design project by using these theoretical models. Discussion in the workshop revealed the inherent differences between the two models: one focuses on detail; while the other offers a broader explanation of the process. The different ways in which both models classify emotions were also analysed. It is argued that in combination both models may be more useful for designers. Findings identified by the research discuss differences between emotion and aesthetic experience, particularly at the visceral level. The designers pointed out the difference between defining the target user from marketing research, or from studying emotion. This research also discusses the benefits and drawbacks of investing time in conducting user research from an emotion perspective. Finally, the paper concludes by highlighting the importance of further research on emotion and interaction