Objectifying user attention and emotion evoked by relevant perceived product components

A company's aim is to develop products that engage user attention and evoke positive emotions. Customers base their emotional evaluation on product components that are relevant for their perception. This paper presents findings of both identifying relevant product components and measuring emotions evoked by relevant perceived product components. To validate results, the comparison with self-reporting methods identifies similarities and differences between explicit expressed and implicit recorded customer requirements. On the one hand, eye tracking is applied to deduce the attention provoked by perceived product components. In order to link the product strategy with product components, the paper presents results considering the fact that the gaze track is affected by current thoughts. (Köhler et al., 2013, 2014a, b; Köhler and Schmitt, 2012) On the other hand, since self-reporting tools are only useful for obtaining information about the conscious part of customers' emotions, there is a need for measurement methods that measure the changes in physiological signals (bio-signals). Arousal is similar to emotional intensity and is related to the galvanic skin response. Positive or negative emotions are defined by the valence that is measured by facial electromyography. Findings are presented that relate changes in bio-signals on the aesthetical design to the global product impression as well as to emotions and, subsequently, linking changes in physiological signals to the evaluation of semantic concepts and design parameters. The presented approach provides conclusions and valid information about products as well as product components that provoke certain emotions and about product components linked to a certain product concept, which could be part of a product strategy. Consequently, hard facts and special design rules for emotional product design can be deduced.