EMOTIONAL DESIGN IN SMARTPHONES: CRAFTING FUTURE DIGITAL EXPERIENCES
DS 136: Proceedings of the Asia Design and Innovation Conference (ADIC) 2024
Year: 2024
Editor: Yong Se Kim; Yutaka Nomaguchi; Chun-Hsien Chen; Xiangyang Xin; Linna Hu; Meng Wang
Author: Hayama, Yasuyuki; Chaudhari, Ishaa; Desai, Harshit
Series: Other endorsed
Institution: Kyushu University, London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, MIT Art, Design and Technology University
Page(s): 425-434
Abstract
Design and emotions have a strong correlation and are interdependent. Emotional design is a domain in design that centers around creating design that evoke emotions, which in turn generate positive and delightful user experiences. Since Donald Norman's pioneering work (2004), emotional design has become integral to product and service design. With expanding focus on digital products and experiences, it is crucial to reexamine emotional design in this context and explore its future values. In this paper, the authors aim to explore the emotional design aspects of future digital experiences focusing on Gen Z, how they use smartphones, their perceptions, new meanings and emotional values associated with smartphones. The theoretical focus is on emotional design aspects to discover insights for future development of digital experiences enabled by the interface of smartphones. With the methodology of Research through Design (RtD) approach, this paper investigates both theoretical and practical knowledge, based on a case of Project-Based Learning (PBL) in a Master's Design Management course in an Indian design school. The study explores upcoming emotional aspects for designing new digital experiences in the future, in collaboration with an Asian smartphone company. The results reveal that for Generation Z, the smartphone exists in two metaphorical levels; one is “phone-as-a-companion” and second “phone-as-a-transformer”. Furthermore, a framework of emotional design for digital experience is prototypically proposed. The framework can contribute both theoretical and practical point of view for creating future values of smartphone experiences.
Keywords: Emotional Design, Digital Experience, Metaverse of Things (MoT), Research through Design (RtD), Generation Z