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This research investigates differences in visual form perception of products in individualist and collectivist societies to help designers and market analysts design products according to their users' formal preferences. This study was conducted in two phases. First, five visual form types were selected out of 500 samples by design expertise for the test: geometric, organic, complex, simple, and symbolic forms. Second, three groups of American (highly individualist), German (individualist), and Iranian (collectivist) were selected based on their cultural dimensions. We developed Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) with the emotions to focus solely on limiting emotions. Since the emotions were in two opposite spectrums, four emotions were considered as positive and the next four emotions as negative. ANOVA was conducted for normally distributed data and Kruskal–Wallis test for non-normal data. The results of this research showed that people with different cultural dimensions have different reactions, feelings, and preferences to products with different formal features. While individualists embrace geometric, simple, and symbolic forms, collectivists prefer organic forms most. The complex form is rejected by all three groups. This research extends our knowledge about cultural differences and provides a very critical tool for designers to design their products according to their users' emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The seamless interplay between art and technological advancement from the late 19th to the mid-20th century is the focus of this article, which examines the influences of pivotal art movements such as Cubism, Art Nouveau, Abstract Art, and Futurism on design inspiration. Through an analysis of the works and methodologies of notable figures like Pavel Janák and Giacomo Balla, the study highlights the symbiosis between the evolution of art and the innovations of the contemporary technological landscape. These movements mirrored their times, from Cubism’s analytical breakdown of form corresponding with industrial fragmentation, to Art Nouveau’s organic motifs that contrasted against mass production, and from Abstract Art’s introspective dive coinciding with psychological advances, to Futurism’s celebration of dynamism in tandem with the era’s mechanistic obsession. Insights gleaned affirm the integral role of technological progress as both catalyst and canvas for artistic expression, culminating in a legacy that provides a foundation for ongoing creative dialogue in the face of the digital age’s new technological frontiers. The article proposes that the narrative of Modern Art is not solely a historical recount but a continuous inspiration, influencing future design and innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Every new brand which competes and increases its market share needs some tools and methods to be applied to its products. The objective of this research is to investigate the use of metaphor as a tool for peak shift effect and its impact on memory, which can be effective in promoting brand identity from a customer perspective. In this respect, this research uses a combination of memory test and comparison of two objects method. Therefore, the research method was according to environment specifications. The results indicated that the products having metaphor in comparison to products with no metaphor has an effective role in peak shift and image persistence and its name in user's mind. In conclusion, the brand identity can be promoted in a variety of ways, among which the design of metaphor, which is related to product design and graphic design, is one of these ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aliovalent substitutions in Ca3Co4O9 often result in complex effects on the electrical properties and the solubility, and impact of the substituting cation also depends largely on the preparation and processing method. It is also well-known that the monoclinic symmetry of this material's composite crystal structure allows for a significant hole transfer from the rock salt-type Ca2CoO3 buffer layers to the hexagonal CoO2 ones, increasing the concentration of holes and breaking the electron–hole symmetry from the latter layers. This work explored the relevant effects of relatively low La-for-Ca substitutions, for samples prepared and processed through a conventional ceramic route, chosen for its simplicity. The obtained results show that the actual substitution level does not exceed 0.03 (x < 0.03) in Ca3−xLaxCo4O9 samples with x = 0.01, 0.03, 0.05 and 0.07 and that further introduction of lanthanum results in simultaneous Ca3Co4O9 phase decomposition and secondary Ca3Co2O6 and (La,Ca)CoO3 phase formation. The microstructural effects promoted by this phase evolution have a moderate influence on the electronic transport. The electrical measurements and determined average oxidation state of cobalt at room temperature suggest that the present La substitutions might only have a minor effect on the concentration of charge carriers and/or their mobility. The electrical resistivity values of the Ca3−xLaxCo4O9 samples with x = 0.01, 0.03 and 0.05 were found to be ~1.3 times (or 24%) lower (considering mean values) than those measured for the pristine Ca3Co4O9 samples, while the changes in Seebeck coefficient values were only moderate. The highest power factor value calculated for Ca2.99La0.01Co4O9 (~0.28 mW/K2m at 800 °C) is among the best found in the literature for similar materials. The obtained results suggest that low rare-earth substitutions in the rock salt-type layers can be a promising pathway in designing and improving these p-type thermoelectric oxides, provided by the strong interplay between the mobility of charge carriers and their concentration, capable of breaking the electron–hole symmetry from the conductive layers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]