Emotion through expression

Designing mobile telephones with an emotional fit

l

P.M.A. Desmet
Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands
Department of Industrial Design
p.m.a.desmet@io.tudelft.nl

Key words: Emotional response, product expression, research method

Introduction

This paper presents an approach to include the user in

Affective responses are important components of

the design process in order to obtain an emotional fit

product experiences. Emotions elicited by consumer

between the product expression and the ensuing

products influence both the decision to purchase a

emotional construals. This approach is established in a

product and the pleasure of using it after the purchase.

design project of mobile telephones. The point of

For designers it is important to design products that

departure is the emotional response elicited by existing

fit the emotions of the users, that is, products that

telephones. The aim of the project is to design mobile

elicit the emotions that the user would like to

telephones that elicit emotional responses that are

experience. Although these emotions are elementary,

more desired than the emotions elicited by existing

they are troublesome for designers because it is

designs 1 . The first step in the approach is to measure

difficult to get a grip on this so-called emotional fit.

the emotional responses elicited by existing telephone

An explanation is that emotions are in most cases-

models.

not elicited by the product as such, but by meanings

yielded from the product. In those cases, the emotion

Emotional responses to mobile telephones

is not elicited by tangible product attributes but by

Traditionally, scholars use verbal measures to measure

intangible -highly personal- construals of the product.

emotional responses. Contrary to this approach, I posit

A designer cannot merely depend on his own

that emotion measures should avoid using words. First,

construals because there is no guarantee that they

emotions are difficult to verbalize, especially the type

resemble the construals of the users. Hence, in order to

of subtle, low intensity emotions elicited by products.

create the required emotional fit, the designer shou ld

Second, asking subjects to describe their emotional

be able to discuss the emotional impact of his design

response will require cognitive involvement, which

with the intended users. However, it seems difficult, if

may influence the measurement (Desmet, Hekkert &

not impossible, to discuss emotional responses with

Jacobs, 1999). For the current application a non-verbal

consumers because they find it very difficult to

self-report measure was developed: the emocards.

express what they feel and why they feel it.

The

emocards

are

based

on

the

dimensions

pleasantness and arousal. In psychology, these two

as stimuli (see figure 2). These models were felt to

dimensions of emotions are most accepted (e.g.,

cover the diversity in design of available telephones at

Schlosberg, 1952). Based on the two dimensions,

that time. The emocards were randomly spread out on

Russell created a circumplex of emotions (Russell,

the table in front of the subject. After seeing all

1980). The facial expressions of the 16 emocards

models, the subjects were asked to point out two

represent eight distinct places on the circumplex

emocards for each telephone. Subsequently, they were

(figure 1).

asked to point out one emocard that best expresses

their most favored emotional response regarding
mobile telephones. Furthermore, in an open interview,
the results were discussed with the subject. In this
discussion, the subject was asked to comment on his

choice of emocards.
1

arousal

St-H

St-A

4
5

-1

-1

St-G

St-B

St-F

St-C

St-E

St-D

pleasantness
Figure 1. Circumplex of emotions and the emocards.

Each octant of the circumplex is represented by both a

male and a female face (for more discussion on the
development of the emocards, see Desmet, Tax &
Overbeeke, 2000). In an experiment, subjects can

Figure 2. Eight existing mobile telephones.

express their emotional responses to products by

pointing out the card that best indicates their response.

The results show that the preferred emotional

To assess the emotional responses elicited by

responses vary between subjects. Based on this

mobile telephones, an emocard experiment was

variation, the subjects are separated into two groups of

conducted with 12 mobile telephone users. Eight

six subjects each. The first group, labeled as CALM,

telephones that were on the market at that time served

prefers a calm-pleasant emotional response, whereas

the second group, labeled as EXCITED, prefers an

The goal of the design project is to design a telephone

excited-pleasant response. Apparently, the EXCITED

that elicits an emotional response that is located in the

like to be aroused by a mobile telephone, whereas the

circumplex closer to the desired emotional response

CALM clearly do not. The emotional responses to the

than the existing models. Nevertheless, the results of

telephones and the preferred emotional responses of

the emocar d study show that two new models should

both the CALM and the EXCITED are shown in

be designed; one for the CALM and one for the

figure 3. The figure shows the average scores of the

EXCITED. Hence, in this project, two telephones are

telephones. The white dots represent the average

designed. The design strategy adopted in this paper is

scores of the CALM, whereas the black dots represent

based on a model of product emotions that focuses on

the average scores of the EXCITED. The figure

the role of the product in emotional responses.

illustrates that the emotional responses of the CALM

differ from the emotional responses of the EXCITED.

Product emotions

By means of example, the CALM experience a

Desmet and Hekkert (2000) propose a model of

pleasant-excited emotion when looking at model St-G,

product emotions based on a cognitive structure

whereas the EXCITED experience an unpleasant-calm

developed by Ortony, Clore and Collins (1988).

response. The differences between the responses of the

According to the model, a product elicits an emotion

CALM and the EXCITED vary between the

when it is appraised either as conflicting or

telephones. The responses to Model St-D, for example,

corresponding with a personal concern (in which the

differ less than the responses to model St-C. The

appraisal is an automatic non-intellectual evaluation).

squares represent the emotional responses that the

Our concerns are more or less stable preferences for

users would like to experience when looking at a

certain states of the world; they are our personal

mobile telephone.

motives in life (Frijda 1986). The model describes

three levels of emotional responses, based on three

7
2

arousal

1
P

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

8
4

St-A
St-B
St-C
St-D
St-E
St-F
St-G
St-H

P Preferred
3

types of emotional concerns:

1. Goals (the things we want to see happen),
2. Standards (how we believe things ought to be),
3. Attitudes (our dispositional liking and disliking).
If a product is appraised as conflicting with a concern,
we experience an unpleasant emotion (e.g., bored,
vulnerable). Likewise, if a product is appraised as

calm
excited

-1

corresponding with a concern, we experience a

pleasant emotion (e.g., attracted to, fascinated).

-1 pleasantness 0

Figure 3. Emotions elicited by the eight telephones

Although mobile telephones can elicit emotions on all

three levels, for clearness sake, the design project

described in the currents paper focuses specifically on

Goals regarding mobile telephones

the first type of concerns, that is goals. Goal

The goals of both the EXCITED and the CALM were

emotions result from the inclination of people to

assessed with a discussion technique

anticipate on the future possession of a product once

named laddering. This technique was developed by

they see one. An important basis of this anticipation is

Hinkle (1965) and elaborated by Reynolds and

the product expression. Products express through their

Gutman (1988). The results of these discussions show

design what goals they will fulfil. A car for example,

that the CALM have different goals and corresponding

can elicit desire if it expresses that it is safe and

expressions than the EXCITED. Table 1 shows these

consequently is appraised as corresponding with the

goals and expressions.

goal safety. Figure 4 shows the process of emotion

Table 1. Concerns and corresponding expressions.

eliciting based on goals.

Concerns
expression

Expressions

product
emotion

appraisal

person

CALM
To avoid stress
To avoid attracting
attention
Sober
Professional
Friendly
Easy in use
Secure
Businesslike
Inviting

EXCITED
To impress
To be free
Advanced
Sophisticated
Professional
Pleasant
Cheerful
Playful
Distinctive

goals

A mobile telephone with a sober and professional

(etcetera) expression will correspond with the goals to
avoid stress and to avoid attracting attention of the
Figure 4. Emotions elicited based on goals

CALM. Their emotional response to this telephone

will be calm-pleasant (see figure 3). Similarly, a

The first step in the design project was to find the

telephone

with

an

advanced

and

sophisticated

emotional responses elicited by existing mobile

(etcetera) expression will correspond w ith the goals to

telephones. The second step is to determine what goals

impress and to be free of the EXCITED. Their

mobile telephone users have and what product

corresponding response will be excited-pleasant. The

expression will be anticipated as meeting these goals.

expression profiles are visualized in two collages; one

that expresses the CALM profile, and one that
expresses the EXCITED profile.

CALM

Logica

Helix

Figure 6. Two of the designed models.

EXCITED

Feedback study
Figure 7 shows the emotional response to the designed
models. This figure results from an emocard study
with 12 subjects from the CALM segment, and 12
subjects from the EXCITED segment.
Besides the responses to the designs, figure 7 also

Figure 5. Collages of the CALM and EXCITED expressions.

Based on the collages, the author designed four mobile

telephones. From roughly 80 design sketches, 30
promising ideas were selected. These 30 ideas were
worked out into form concepts. Based on the collages
and the verbal expressions of table 1, two of the
concepts were chosen: one concept for the EXCITED
and one for the CALM. Subsequently, the concepts
were each detailed into two telephone designs 2 . Two
of these four models are presented in figure 6. The
model designed for the CALM is named Logica,
whereas the model designed for the EXCITED is
named Helix.

depicts the responses to the existing models and the

preferred responses. The figure shows that model
Helix is positioned closest to the preferred emotional
response of the EXCITED. Therefore, it can be
concluded that Helix elicits an emotional response that
is preferred over the emotions elicited by the other
models. On the other hand, model Logic a is not
positioned most close to the preferred emotional
response of the CALM. The existing model St-C is
slightly closer to the preferred emotional response.
Therefore, it can be concluded that Logica does not
elicit a more preferable emotional response than the
existing model St-C.

0
-3

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

7
2

1
Helix

arousal

-1

calm
excited

Logica

striking
amateurish
friendly
gruff
doubtful
informal

inviting

reserved

percieved
expression
of the calm

Logica
Helix

0
-3

-2

sober
professional
friendly
easy in use
secure
businesslike

P Preferred

0
4

St-A
St-B
St-C
St-D
St-E
St-F
St-G
St-H

-2

-1

advanced
sophisticated
professional
pleasant
cheerful
playful
distinctive

old-fashioned
ungainly
amateurish
annoying
gloomy
dull
ordinary

percieved
expression
of the excited

Logica
Helix

-1

-1 pleasantness 0

Figure 8. Perceived expressions of model Logica and Helix.

1

Figure 7. Emotional responses elicited by the designs.

Discussion
This paper demonstrates that the emotional response to

The expression of model Logica offers an explanation

a product can be an interesting starting point for a

for the rather poor effect of model Logica. The

design project. On the other hand, assuming that the

perceived expressions were measured with semantic

emotional response is the only important factor of

differentials. The differentials are bipolar seven-point

product experience is naturally- too simplified.

scales of the expressions (see table 1) and their

People are influenced by their emotions, but emotions

opposites. The subjects were instructed to score the

are not the only factor determining preferences.

scales for both Logica and Helix. The average scores

Moreover, this paper focuses only on one of the three

are shown in figure 8. In the figure, the expressions of

kinds of product emotions (i.e., emotions elicited

table 1 are placed on the left side, whereas their

because of user goals). The other two (i.e., emotions

opposites are placed on the right side. The figure

elicited because of user standards and attitudes) are

shows that the scores of the expressions of model

left out of consideration.

Helix are all well above zero. Contrary, model Logica

As a result of this, the attempt to clarify why the

has a low score both on friendly and on inviting.

design project only partly succeeded, involved

This could be the cause of the substantial distance

speculation. The paper assumes a one-to one

between the emotional response of Logica and the

relationship between product expression and emotion.

preferred emotional response of the CALM.

Consequently, the low performance of model Logica

was argumented with the partly inadequate expression.
An alternative explanation could be that Logica elicits

a less preferred emotion because in some way it

steps can be retrieved in Desmet, Tax &

conflicts with a standard or an attitude. Still, based on

Overbeeke (2000).

the results of the project, it can be concluded that the

2. Note that the models do not have numerical

possibility of introducing a successful product would

buttons because they are operated with voice

be bigger in the EXCITED segment than in the CALM

control.

segment.
Finally, I would like to argue that projects such as

References

presented in this paper require involvement of the

Desmet, P.M.A., and Hekkert, P. (2000). The basis

designer not merely in the design stages but also in the

of product emotions. Manuscript submitted

research stages. By interviewing the users and using

for

the emocards, the designer got a grip on the emotional

Technology.

publication ,

Delft

University

of

construals that the users have regarding mobile

Desmet, P.M.A., Hekkert, P., and Jacobs, J.J.

telephones. This grip, which was only partly rational,

(1999). When a car makes you smile;

enabled him to create the collages and designs.

development and applic ation of an instrument

Acquiring this grip would not have been possible

to measure product emotions. In: Stephen, J.

without direct contact between the designers and his

Hoch and Robert J. Meyer (Ed.), Advances of

intended users.

Consumer Research, vol. XXVII (in press).

Desmet, P.M.A, Tax, S.J.E.T., and Overbeeke, C.J.

Acknowledgements

(2000). Designing products with added

I would like to thank Gerda Smets of the Open

emotional value; development and application

University for providing the opportunity for this

of a research through design approach.

project, and KPN Research for funding and supporting

Manuscript submitted for publication , Delft

this project. Furthermore, I would like to thank Rianne

University of Technology.

Valkenburg, Kees Overbeeke, Paul Hekkert (Delft

University), and Stefan Tax (KPN Research) for their
constructive discussions. Ensuing studies to product
emotions are funded by Mitsubishi Motor R&D,
Europe GmbH, Trebur, Germany.

Frijda, N.H. (1986). The emotions. Cambridge:

Cambridge University Press.
Hinkle, Ds. (1965). The change of personal constructs.
Ohio: Ohio State University.
Ortony, A., Clore, G.L., and Collins, A. (1988). The
cognitive structure of emotions. Cambridge:

Notes

Cambridge University Press.

1. As the design project recited in this paper is

Reynolds, T.J. & Gutman, J. (1988). Laddering

discussed in more detail in a previous paper, this

theory, Method, Analysis, and Interpreta tion.

paper should be regarded as a summarizing paper.

Journal of Advertising Research, 28, 11-31.

Details regarding both the research and the design

Russell, J.A. (1980). A circumplex model of affect.

Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 39,

1161-1178.
Schlosberg, H. (1952). The description of facial
expression in terms of two dimensions. Journal
of Experimental Psychology, 44, 229-237.