Design for Experience

Product experience can be defined as the entire set of affects that is elicited by the interaction between a user and a product, including the degree to which all user’s senses are gratified (aesthetic experience), the meanings user attaches to the product (experience of meaning), and the feelings and emotions that are elicited (emotional experience) (Desmet & Hekkert, 2007). It is an affective experience in users when they interact with a product. In other words, there are three distinct levels of product experiences:

Interestingly, each particular experience might activate other levels of experience. The experience of meaning could also give rise to emotional experiences and aesthetic experiences, and vice versa.

I found this framework can be of value for us, as designers, to structure our process in designing products, particularly ‘designing for experience.’ It reminds us that aside from building aesthetically appealing products, it is imperative to also build users’ ‘emotional experience’ and ‘experience of meaning’ through our design. That being said, pleasing aesthetics are inadequate if we aim to design for an ‘experience’ that will eventually lead to user engagement with our products. We need to perfect this experience by also incorporating ‘emotional experiences’ into our design, particularly, the positive ones. And not to be undermined, paying more attention to product branding and marketing activities will certainly amplitude the user’s ‘experience of meaning’ .

References

Desmet, P. M. A., & Hekkert, P. (2007). Framework of product experience. International Journal of Design, 1(1), 57–66.

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