A Study on Consumers' Visual Image Evaluation of Wrist Wearables

Area of Science:

• Human-Computer Interaction
• Product Design
• Consumer Behavior

Background:

• Kansei engineering is crucial for understanding user emotional responses to products.
• Visual aesthetics significantly influence consumer perception and purchasing decisions for electronic devices.
• Wrist wearables represent a growing market where design plays a key role in adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate consumer visual image evaluation of wrist wearables using Kansei engineering principles.
• To identify key design features that positively or negatively impact consumer acceptance of wrist wearables.
• To provide data-driven insights for the design and development of consumer-preferred wrist wearable devices.

Main Methods:

• Screening 99 wrist wearable samples down to 8 representative ones using multidimensional scaling (MDS).
• Utilizing a questionnaire survey and factor analysis to identify five key adjective groups for visual impressions.
• Analyzing sample evaluations with triangle fuzzy theory to quantify consumer preferences.

Main Results:

• Round, moderately complex (bezel, buttons), and asymmetric wrist wearable shapes received higher evaluations.
• Square and elliptical shapes had lower acceptance, while increased chamfer curvature on square/rectangular designs improved acceptance.
• High contrast between screen and casing colors was favored; display size had minimal impact on evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Consumer visual preferences for wrist wearables are influenced by specific design elements like shape, complexity, and color contrast.
• Designers should consider round shapes, moderate complexity, and color contrast to enhance wrist wearable appeal.
• Understanding these visual image evaluations can guide product development and meet consumer demand more effectively.