The Emotional Responses of Elderly Users towards Product Aesthetics

Product with aesthetic can add extra value into a product; frequently, the product aesthetic should be able to increase users’ positive emotions through interacting with the product aesthetic. As known, product aesthetic has covered with both product appearance and internal meaning. Consumers perceive appearance aesthetic at the first glance, then further to decode the meaning/ semantic of the product, which may evoke their emotions immediately. However, current product research on aesthetic and cultural meaning focus on young consumers market mainly. There are only very few research focused on elderly users. As known, product aesthetic has involved with variety of product aesthetic principles and understanding of cultural meaning. This study attempts to focus on only a/symmetry principle which is notable easily by elderly users. In this study, product cultural patterns (i.e., meaning) is also included because of their associated with nostalgia and retro to elderly users’ emotions strongly. Thus, this study attempts to focus on two variables: a/symmetry aesthetic and cultural patterns meaning. The results should be able to provide a guideline for designers when developing an emotional product for elderly market.

Project ID:PE10607-0235
External Project ID:MOST106-2410-H182-015