Name: Bayaban, Sarah Jane C. | Siat, Joyce Anne M.

Subject: PRODSCI

Section: EB Date: April 1, 2013

A Critical Review of Noble, C., and Kumar, M. (2008), Using product design strategically to create deeper consumer connections, Business Horizons, vol. 51, no. 5, pp. 441-450. Introduction The paper of Noble and Kumar (2008) prepared a broad study of multi-phased, ground theory approach which considers three different queries related with their research: (1) what is the nature of design? (2) What specific influences can design have on current and potential customers? And (3) how can design tactics, strategies and goals translate into value for the consumer and the firm? New and important perspectives on design that gives prominence on emotional value on product is what the paper of Noble and Kumar (2008) introduces in their study. Summary The research conducted by Noble and Kumar (2008) shows how different fundamentals of design can be deliberately used in generating different outcome chains from the viewpoint of the consumers. It was shown that several design basics creates differentiation of useful product and transactional consumer results, while some strategies of design focus more on the creation of emotional value which builds attachment, pleasure of use, or ardour to consumers. Critique There are two types of consumer outcomes according to the study of Noble and Kumar (2008), the functional differentiation and the emotional value creation, which many companies are focusing in the industry today to create products that have more value and impact in the market. Functional differentiation means that the preferences of consumers are based on the characteristics of the product while the emotional value creation, the social, altruistic, and affective value, means that design attracts consumers emotionally. According to Zhai et al. (2009), the products should meet both physical requirements and affective needs of the consumers in order for the company to do well in the highly competitive market. Also, it was

mentioned that the affections of consumer and the elements of design plays an important role in designing products which supports the study of Noble and Kumar (2008). Same idea was also given by Park and Han (2004) saying that in affective user satisfaction is an important factor which may lead the product to be successful in the market. This is because affect influences how the consumers assess and choose a certain product (Slovic et al., 2002) and that emotions turn on during the process of purchasing (Seva & Helander, 2009). It was also mentioned by Noble and Kumar (2008) that design creates positive emotions which include stimulation, yearning, surprise, enjoyment and attraction. However, Seva and Helander (2009) attest that culture strongly influences the way the consumers assess a certain product. And since the perception of beauty varies on every culture, it is therefore assumed that the affective responses of consumers depend on the culture they belong to. This claim was not taken into consideration by the study of Noble and Kumar (2008) in developing novel and valuable design perspectives. Conclusion In summary, the study of Noble and Kumar (2008) presents very well the different aspects of developing product designs which incorporates the two consumer outcomes, functional differentiation and emotional value creation. Referring to other studies related to affective product design, it could be inferred that the research paper presented by Noble and Kumar (2008) incorporates different factors that may affect the way the consumers decide on which product to purchase. Their study only lacks a little consideration of how different peoples tastes and preferences were which was incorporated and claimed by the study of Seva and Helander (2009). Cultural differences must be considered in the designing of products since it will determine the perception of the consumers. References Park, J., & Han, S. (2004). A fuzzy rule-based approach to modeling affective user satisfaction towards office chair design. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 34 (1), 3147. Seva, R., Duh, H., & Helander, M. (2007). The marketing implications of affective product design. Applied Ergonomics, 38 (6), 723-731.

Seva, R. & Helander, M. (2009). The influence of cellular phone attributes on users affective experiences: a cultural comparison. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 39 (2), 341-346. Slovic, P., Finucane, M., Peters, E., & MacGregor, D. (2002). The affect heuristic. In: Gilovich, T., Griffin, D., Kahneman, D. (Eds.), Heuristics and Biases: the Psychology of Intuitive Judgment. Cambridge University Press, London, pp. 397-420. Zhai, L., Khoo, L., & Zhong, Z. (2009). A rough set based decision support approach to improving consumer affective satisfaction in product design. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 39 (2), 295-302.