Conference Agenda
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Agenda Overview |
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D425: USER AND CONSUMER PERCEPTION IN PRODUCT DESIGN AND USE
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Garment longevity through quality perception: bridging subjective and objective quality 1Product Development, Faculty of Design Sciences, University of Antwerp, Belgium; 2Marketing, Faculty of Business and Economy, University of Antwerp, Belgium This study investigates the gap between objective and subjective garment quality and explores how insights from subjective quality can inform industry practices to enhance product longevity. Based on 16 interviews, findings reveal that consumers rely on subjective-intuitive aspects to form quality expectations and subjective-aligned aspects that emerge through experiences. Qualitative use emerges as a crucial connection between subjective and objective quality. These insights inform design strategies promoting garment longevity across three phases: design, primary retail, and secondary retail. Attributes in context: a qualitative study of user understanding and misinterpretations in product design Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy This study investigates how product attributes shape user interpretation of unfamiliar products in terms of functions and context of use. This was made possible through an experiment involving 71 participants who were administered three unfamiliar end-use products without any additional cue. Findings reveal that visual cues, material semantics, and contextual imagination shape understanding, with misinterpretations often arising from analogical reasoning and partial cue activation. Designers should harmonize cues and leverage material symbolism to guide user perception and acceptance. Investigating consumer behaviour and incentives for slow-the-loop R-strategies in the bicycle industry 1Paderborn University, Germany; 2Heinz Nixdorf Institute, Germany; 3Fraunhofer IEM, Germany As concerns about climate change and biodiversity loss intensify, circular economy strategies are crucial for decoupling economic growth from resource depletion. Yet, the consumer behavioural dimension including returning, repairing, and accepting refurbished products remains underexplored, in particular in the bicycle industry. By conducting a survey of bicycle users, this study finds a strong willingness to engage in these slow-the-loop practices, driven by cost savings, convenience, and trust, but hindered by knowledge gaps and quality concerns, implying recommendations for manufacturers. One shape fits all? Exploring how standardised packaging influences brand heritage and consumer perception University of Twente, The Netherlands There is an increasing need to understand how rising environmental pressures and the EU’s PPWR (Packaging and Packaging Waste Regulations), which requires more sustainable and standardised packaging, affect brand identity. This paper evaluates how standardisation alters brand recognition and the extent to which visual and verbal cues can preserve brand identity and heritage. Mixed-method case studies show that coherent cues can maintain authenticity, brand meaning, and consumer acceptance emphasising the importance for brands seeking to balance sustainability with consumer perception. | ||
