Investigating User Emotional Responses to Eco-Feedback Designs
Name
v007t06a055-detc2018-86208.pdf
Size
2.66 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
4c065177b09bedc79b26c37d1ff66bd3
Author(s)
Bao, Qifang
Hughes, Ann M.
Burnell, Edward Ned
Yang, Maria C.
Date Issued
August 2018
Journal
Volume 7: 30th International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology
Citation
Bao, Qifang, Ann M. Hughes, Edward Burnell, and Maria C. Yang. “Investigating User Emotional Responses to Eco-Feedback Designs.” Volume 7: 30th International Conference on Design Theory and Methodology (August 26, 2018).
Version
Final published version
Abstract
Emotional responses to a product can be critical to influencing how the product will be used. This study explores the emotions that arise from users' interaction with eco-feedback products, and investigates links between emotions and users' resource conservation behaviors. In-lab experiments were conducted with 30 participants of varying backgrounds. Each participant was shown sketches of four conceptual designs of eco-feedback products and reported how they would feel and behave in different scenarios using the products. Results showed that taking immediate resource conservation actions such as turning off lights was correlated with negative emotions such as guilt and embarrassment. Users' evaluations of product aesthetics, usefulness and overall quality, however, were highly correlated with positive emotions, described as satisfied, hopeful, interested and/or excited. Two styles of eco-feedback design, quantitative and figurative, were compared. Figurative designs were observed to evoke much stronger emotions among younger participants than older ones. Ultimately, we hope our findings are useful to the designers of eco-feedback products.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Institute for Data, Systems, and Society
Terms of Use
Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use.
Persistent DSpace Link
DOI of Published Version
https://doi.org/10.1115/DETC2018-86208
