Article
Yasuyuki Hayama*1, Harshit Desai 2, Ishaa Chaudhari 2
1Department of Design, Politecnico di Milano, Milan, Italy
2MIT Art, Design and Technology University, Rajbaug, Pune, India
Abstract
There is a strong relationship between design and emotions. Emotional Design is a domain in design studies that focuses on how creating designs that evoke emotions which in turn create positive, delightful, and enduring user experiences. Since the pioneering work by Donald Norman (2004), emotional design has been widely used in the design of products and services. In the last few decades, the scope of design increasingly covers digital products and experiences and hence emotional design also has to be seen in this changed context. Therefore, it is crucial for designers, companies, and design scholars to explore the current meaning of emotional design and discover future values in terms of emotional aspects. In this paper, the authors aim to explore the emotional design aspects of future digital experiences. Focusing on Gen Z, the authors explore how they use smartphones, their perceptions, the new meanings and emotional values associated with smartphones. The theoretical focus is on emotional design aspects to discover insights for the future development of digital experiences which are opened by the interface of smartphones. 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 design management program at the Master’s level in an Indian design school. Collaborating with an Asian smartphone company, this study explores upcoming emotional aspects for designing new digital experiences in the future. The results reveal that for Generation Z the smartphone exists on two metaphorical levels; one is “phone-as-a-companion” and the second is “phone-as-a-transformer”. Furthermore, a framework of emotional design for digital experiences is prototypically proposed. The framework can contribute both theoretical and practical points of view for creating future values of smartphone experiences.
Keywords
Emotional Design, Digital Experience, Sensorial Experience, Metaverse of Things (MoT), Smartphone, Research through Design (RtD), Project-Based Learning (PBL), Generation Z
Introduction
There is a strong relationship between design and emotions. Since Desmet’s (1999) and Norman’s (2004) research theories regarding the aspects of emotion and design were pioneered, various studies on emotions and emotional design were rapidly explored under the same umbrella of design and emotion; a topic which became an important one in the field of design during the last decades (Ho and Siu, 2012). The importance of emotions has been analyzed in depth in relation to physical products (e.g. Logan et al., 1994; Nagamachi, 1995). In addition, in the last few decades, the scope of design in both academia and practices increasingly covers digital products and experiences (Leung, 2008). Accordingly, emotion and design are also analyzed in the field of digital experience design, including user interface and user experience (e.g. Kim & Moon, 1998; Kim et al., 2003; Pengnate & Antonenko, 2013). It is crucial for designers, companies, and design researchers to explore the current implications of emotional design and find future value in the emotional aspects of digital products and experiences. In particular, with regard to artifacts that we feel familiar and attached to such as cell phones and smartphones (Konok et al., 2016), it is worth investigating and exploring the emotional aspects to the digital experience.
Emotion and Design
Since Plato (1955[c. 390 bc]) introduced the term “emotion”, Darwin (1872) was the first one who pointed out that emotion is an important factor in shaping social behaviors such as human communication, and the concept was the foundation of his theory of evolution. Based on this theory, Dewey (1934) argued that emotion would be influenced by experience; hence, emotion may not only be a direct response to external stimuli. Originating in epoch-making research, emotion has been studied in various disciplines such as psychological studies, philosophy, sociology, economic science, and so forth since the 1970s (Ho and Siu, 2012).
In design studies, many researchers have proposed different theories and methodologies to investigate how emotion could impact or even shape the nature of designs. By reviewing the extant literature regarding emotion and design, Ho and Siu (2012) categorized different types of focus in design and emotion studies, based on the roles of designers, design outcomes, and users/consumers in the design process and design consumptions (that is, “user/ consumer-driven”, “designer-driven” and “relationship among users/consumers, designers, and design outcomes”). In the first category “user/consumer-driven” approach, scholars believed that if designers understood the user/consumer experience more, it would be easier for them to “design better” (Desmet and Hekkert, 2009). In the second category of “designer-driven studies”, some scholars looked at the relationships between designers and design outcomes. They believed that changes to external environments such as social changes, interactions between people and objects, and so on, would influence the designers’ goal setting of their design and their reflective emotional responses (‘emotional experience’) (e.g. Forlizzi et al, 2003; Desmet, 2008). Lastly, in the approach of “relationship among users/consumers, designers, and design outcomes”, scholars have emphasized the communication between the users/consumers and designers through design outcomes (e.g. Jordan, 2000; Suri, 2003). Hence, when it comes to studying emotion and design, it is fundamental to have a map where the specific research tries to explore and contribute to the extant research.
Emotional Design and Digital Experience
With the increasing importance of digital technologies in our daily life a majority of products and experiences are technology enabled. Every technology can deliberately or inadvertently affect psychological well-being and emotion. As a simple example of smartphones, Kushlev and Dunn (2015) demonstrated that the number of times a day people could check email increased stress levels, while other studies show that the mere presence of a mobile phone diminishes the quality of face-to-face interaction (Misra et al., 2016). Therefore, given the deep penetration of digital technology into our daily lives in recent years, it is becoming increasingly important to design digital experiences that take into account their impact on human emotions and well-being.
Leung (2008) underlines that the “art” of digital experience design considers the holistic factors of a user experience that go beyond or extend the “science” of usability, which rather encompasses the more abstract, emotional, and atmospheric elements of users’ digital interactions such as attraction, seduction, and engagement. Because of those aspects of digital experiences that are slippery, intangible, and difficult to articulate or capture, there are no heuristics or formulae. This is why it is necessary to turn to and learn from the terminologies, methodologies, and models of other disciplines that are already well-versed in experience design (Leung, 2008). Peters et al. (2018) emphasizes the lack of knowledge of how technology can be designed to support well-being, but also how it can be consciously designed to enhance or regulate people’s emotion. Therefore, it can be concluded that while it is increasingly important to explore the design of the emotional aspects of digital experiences, there is a lack of theoretical or practical methodologies and knowledge. This research gap regarding emotional design and digital experiences should be highlighted and treated more both from academic and practical points of view. The best tool for bridging this gap is empathy as it helps us understand and identify the latent needs of users by providing a holistic and human-centered approach.
Focus of the research: Emotional design for digital experience of smartphones for Generation Z
To address this issue, this paper aims to explore the emotional design aspects of future digital experiences, focusing on Generation Z and their use, perceptions, and new meanings and emotional values associated with smartphones. One trend that is common to Generation Z in all Asian countries is the influence of technology on their lives and behavior. It is clear that Generation Z in Asia are not only digital natives but have grown up in a world of mobile applications, social media, and mobile technology (Parry, 2020). Especially in India, with a population of 472 million, India has the largest population of Generation Z in the world (Hameed and Mathur, 2020). According to Hameed and Mathur (2020), members of Generation Z in India show common behaviors and preferences with their counterparts around the world. Additionally, members of Generation Z in India have clear opinions and ideas of how youth can contribute to a developing nation like India. Therefore, by focusing on Generation Z, especially those in India, we will be able to gain future insights into the emotional design of digital experiences by interpreting weak signals of the future of digital experience (Saul, 2006).
There are three main targets of the research. First, is an investigation of what emotions smartphones bring to generation Z and what they want from smartphones in the future. Second, based on the first set of insights, we derive two hypothetical scenarios about what future smartphones should look like with respect to emotional design. Third, we formulated emotional principles based on the insights gained from research and an emotional design framework for digital experiences as a theoretical model for the prototype. This research aims to contribute to knowledge generation mainly in the categories of “user/consumer-driven approach” based on the categorization by Ho and Siu (2012).
Methodology
Owing to the constructive design research as a way of Research through Design (RtD) approach, this paper investigates both theoretical and practical knowledge. A design challenge of creating an “emotional design framework for digital experience in smartphones” was the setting of the research, where an industry-collaborative Project-Based-Learning (PBL) in design management program at the Master’s level in an Indian design school. Collaborating with an Asian smartphone company, this study explores upcoming emotional aspects for designing new digital experiences in the future.
Project-Based-Learning (PBL): Creating an “emotional design framework for digital experience
To explore the emotional design aspects of future digital experiences, project-based learning (PBL) (Krajcik and Blumenfeld, 2005) was conducted in a Master’s level Design Management program in an Indian design school. Project-based learning is a pedagogical approach in higher education in order for students to learn cutting-edge academic topics within the real-world practice (Kokotsaki et al, 2016). Project-based learning is a student-centered form of instruction that is based on three constructivist principles: learning is context-specific, learners are involved actively in the learning process and they achieve their goals through social interactions and the sharing of knowledge and understanding. It is considered to be a particular type of inquiry-based learning where the context of learning is provided through authentic questions and problems within real-world practices that lead to meaningful learning experiences (Kokotsaki et al., 2016). Therefore, by collaborating with a leading Asian smartphone company, the research was planned and conducted for the purpose of exploration of emotional design aspects for future digital experiences, especially on smartphones. The company also approached the university students for a less explored segment of emotional design, specifically to explore their target users, Gen Z. These students were the closest demographically, geographically, and empathetically to Gen Z.
Table 1 shows the detailed setting of the project. As the basic conditions of the project, an industry-academia collaborative project was conducted as an educational course under the design management master’s program at the MIT Institute of Design (MIT ID) in India. The project was coordinated by the faculty of design management and a leading Asian smartphone company, in which four students and two teachers, and three mentors from the company participated. 50 students as interview collaborators also participated. The design project theme was creating an “emotional design framework for digital experience” which can clarify the “plausible” level of emotional experiences in digital experience for smartphones. In order to achieve this goal, the focus of the investigation was set on understanding generation Z’s way of usage and perceptions regarding smartphones to see the future in weak signals (Saul, 2006). The timeline of the project was planned in three phases with a duration of 13 weeks. In the phase 1, students conducted design research including secondary and primary research to explore the current and future meanings of smartphones (4 weeks). In phase 2, which is the “inspiring and visioning” section, significant findings and insights were developed based on the previous research outcomes (4 weeks). In phase 3, designing framework (5 weeks). These activities of phases 1,2 and 3 were conducted iteratively.
Table 1: The setting of the Project Based Learning (PBL)
Basic conditions | An educational course under the design management master’s program in and Indian design school |
Coordinated by the faculty of design management program and a leading Asian smartphone company | |
4 students and 2 teachers from the university, 3 mentors from the company participated in the project | |
Design project theme | A real problem setting: creating an “emotional design framework for digital experience
To clarify what is the “plausible” level of emotional experiences in digital experience for the smartphone To concentrating on Generation Z’s way of usages and perceptions regarding smartphone in order to see the futures in weak signals (Saul, 2006) |
Timeline of the project | 13 weeks’ duration |
Phase 1 : Design research ; Secondary and primary research to explore the current and future meanings of smartphone (4 weeks) |
Research through Design (RtD)
Relying on constructive design research as a way of Research through Design (RtD) approach (Stappers and Giaccardi, 2017), this research investigates both theoretical and practical knowledge. According to Stappers and Giaccardi (2017), RtD indicates design activities that play a formative role in the generation of knowledge, in other words, “Doing design as a part of doing research”. As most academic publications about RtD focus on the prototype, The designing act of creating prototypes is in itself a potential generator of knowledge (if only its insights do not disappear into the prototype, but are fed back into the disciplinary and cross-disciplinary platforms that can fit these insights into the growth of theory) (Stappers and Giaccardi, 2017). Based on the definition of a prototype by Houde and Hill (1997), a prototype is defined as “any representation of a design idea, regardless of the medium”(Houde and Hill,1997). Here, we are considering a framework as the end product, and have applied the design process to create the required solution.
Therefore, through generating a prototypical framework of emotional design for digital experience as a visual representation of design outcome, this research pursues to generate a piece of knowledge in the identified research gap between emotional design and digital experience.
Data was collected through two different formats. Firstly, secondary and primary research data during the project were collected by the students’ participants. Intensive user research was conducted using various methods such as interviews, surveys, worksheets, gathering insights through ballot box, brainstorming using open access boards and extensive observation through shadowing and also observing “how, what, where, when and why” of Gen Z using their smartphones. Secondly, the final outcome of the emotional design framework is the generated prototype.
Results
First, based on information derived through various primary research methods, 8 personae were derived based on the characteristics and behavior patterns of Gen Z. Second, the research yielded several insights into what emotion smartphones bring to generation Z and what they want from it in the future. As basic insights, eight emotional dimensions were synthesized through a study of how the digital experience of a smartphone is emotionally charged for Generation Z. The desires they expect from future smartphones were also analyzed and integrated into the five sensory aspects. Second, based on insights derived through various primary research methods, 8 personae were derived based on the characteristics and behavior patterns of Gen Z. Third, based on the first insights, two hypothetical scenarios were derived. The students generated two metaphorical concepts; one is the “smartphone-as-a-companion” and the other is the “smartphone-as-a-transformer.” In both cases, the smartphone could realize different types of Generation Z’s emotional needs. Third, based on these insights and hypotheses, a prototypical framework of emotional design for digital experiences was formed. This framework is prototyped with the aim of creating a piece of knowledge about emotional design for digital experiences, with reference to the theoretical background of emotion and consciousness (Freud, 1915; Tsuchiya and Adolphs, 2007). In particular, in the broader context of emotional design, it is intended to contribute to the “user/consumer-driven approach” (Ho and Siu, 2012).
Insights
First, we gained findings into what emotions smartphones bring to generation Z and what they want from smartphones in the future. These findings were synthesized through extensive desktop research (secondary research) focusing on how emotional design affects Generation Z today, and shadowing (observation), workshops and surveys (primary research) to better understand the emotional interests of 50 students in MIT ID who are Generation Z when it comes to smartphones.
What are the characteristics of Gen Z
The students conducted intensive user research using various methods of observation and shadowing, interaction and interviews, surveys and workshops, to understand the characteristics and behavior patterns of Generation Z. Based on the insights gained, 8 personae were derived that categorized the Gen Z on basis of characteristics, user behavior and smartphone usage patterns. The 8 personae were categorized as Workaholic, Laid Back, Outgoing, Introverted, Anxious, Wannabe, Tech Savvy, and Niche (Table 2). These particular personae are result of the most prevalent core personality traits of digital users. Further user surveys and unofficial testing was conducted with questions specific to the personae identified to validate them and to gain further insights successfully. Almost all users were able to fit in with either of the personae. Understanding contrasts between hearts and minds of different personae while increasing consciousness is called for and is the need of the hour.
Different users act differently to even the same action which generates more user-friendly digital experiences, and also becomes an important aspect in emotional design. For e.g., an Anxious user kept double-tapping their phone constantly to check the time or when waiting for a call. Another example, a Niche user used very specific Anime-themed personalization themes on their smartphone. Especially for digital experiences, from daily actions, features used to even applications used differ from persona to persona. Emotional attachment and consciousness towards each persona’s action will also differ for various digital experiences. Further usage of identified personae is an intriguing aspect that can be explored to create better emotional design for digital experiences and its accommodation in the framework generated is yet to be explored, but a notion worth considering nonetheless.
Table 2: Typologies of persona identified in Gen Z
Persona | Description |
Workaholic | Uses phone majorly for specific work-related actions |
Laid Back | Uses phone mostly for leisure or non-urgent scenarios |
Outgoing | Phone is a main catalyst for connecting with others |
Introverted | Privacy and solitude is an important aspect for them |
Anxious | Constant sense of unease or eagerness regarding actions |
Wannabe | Wanting to be constantly in-trend and updated |
Tech Savvy | Updated with latest technology and first-to-implement |
Niche | Users with very specific tastes or likes/dislikes |
What emotion does smartphone bring to generation Z
The students explored the primal emotions that smartphones bring to generation Z, through secondary and primary research during the PBL. We observed, empathized, and understood the types of triggers that culminate in all emotions. Consequently, 8 emotional principles have been established as the result of the synthesis (Table 3). These emotions result from analyzing patterns of the most prevalent and basic instinctive emotions felt by users, at various levels of consciousness. Those emotions are control, familiarity, serendipity, rewarding, closure, nostalgia, assurance, and attachment.
- Control can be described as the ability to perform a task according to your preferences. Smartphones enable multitasking easily, however, each task should be allowed by preferable gestures, actions, and settings that lead to a high emotional level of control. This principle exercises the degree of control smartphones allow the user and is important to establish to enhance the user’s privacy.
- Familiarity is a sense of relatedness to real-world scenarios and objects. Even with digital interfaces, qualities that stimulate familiar real-world textures and sensory perceptions can enhance emotional utility. An easy-to-use and learn interface also generates familiarity and plays an important part during new developments in smartphones like software updates. For example, phone wallpaper themes form a sense of familiarity with the phone due to the user constantly seeing the particular setting.
- Serendipity is a sense of exploring new things that lead to an unexpectedly positive reaction. The digital interface of the smartphone is perceived by Generation Z as a doorway to a new world, and the accidental discovery of an experience never seen or experienced before evokes an emotional experience of serendipity and adds new dimensions to the emotional relationship and attachment of humans to smartphones.
- Rewarding is a productive feeling and achievement. When an action is accomplished through a smartphone, having appropriate feedback is important to enhance feelings of being rewarded. For example, having different feedback for each layer of multi-layered tasks can appropriately enhance feelings of fulfillment.
- Closure is a sense of completion. When a task is completed, being able to clearly see that it has been completed is very important for emotional utility. A smartphone’s relevant feedback results in providing the user with a feeling of contentedness.
- Nostalgia is “emotional” take me back. This emotion is derived from the historical memories that are stuck in the smartphone. The connections with family members who live far away and various friends and acquaintances you have met over the years are stored in your smartphone. For example, albums from the past can heighten feelings of nostalgia.
- Assurance means affirmation and guarantee. In the digital experience on smartphones, many actions are performed for the first time. Therefore, a clear and understandable explanation of what the results of a certain action will be will help to dispel the user’s apprehension and increase the feeling of assurance; providing a guarantee for every action or gesture. For example, informing the user whether the action they are performing is in the right direction or not is critical as is to guide the user throughout their journey.
- Attachment triggers the connection with other people and objects. The connectivity to the world that is achieved through the phone triggers this emotion as smartphones are the primary means to connect with people and other things, particularly for Generation Z. For example, images on the home and standby screens are important for enhancing attachment. Another example is the call log which gives the users the ability to connect with their family, friends, and others in mere seconds, increasing attachment to the phone. The ability to change frequently used applications to one’s preferred colors and settings will further increase attachment.
These eight emotions can theoretically be interpreted as eight basic emotional principles that have been integrated as a result of the research. These align with the triggers provided by the senses and aspects of the cognitive processes. On the other hand, when actually designing digital products and interfaces, the eight emotional aspects could be used to examine the effectiveness of emotional design at all points in the user’s customer journey, from the beginning to the end and the aftermath. Furthermore, it could potentially be used as a checklist to verify if the overall design is more holistic and integrated. This will influence the user’s impression of the brand and whether or not they will make a purchase as well as consumer retention. Application of these principles to study various aspects regarding digital experiences, whether it be inbuilt features, user interactions and the products themselves will give leeway to enhance the digital experiences with a human-centric approach.
Table 3: Basic findings regarding emotional aspects of smartphone
Emotion | Description |
Control | Ability of performing a task according to your preference |
Familiarity | Sense of relatedness to the real world scenarios/objects |
Serendipity | Exploring new things that lead towards an unexpected positive reaction |
Rewarding | Productive feeling, achievement |
Closure | Sense of completion |
Nostalgia | ‘Emotional’ take me backs |
Assurance | Affirmation / guarantee |
Attachment | Attachment with other people/objects |
What does generation Z want from smartphones in the future
Through in-depth observation and interaction with Generation Z, students who participated in the interview survey, we gained insights to understand our target users and their needs, and to visualize the scenarios of future smartphones. Understanding emotions and their levels of awareness also provided deeper insights into their choices and the images and perceptions that Generation Z wants to project about themselves. The analytical perspective of the analysis is about the emotional desire for future smartphones based on the five senses. We summarized our insights into the possibilities for the emotional design of future smartphone digital experiences in four categories: touch, hearing, sight, and, futuristic senses which include smell and taste. Table 4 shows the results regarding the future emotional value of smartphones.
- Touch is defined as the physical touchpoint between the smartphone and the user. Carrying in their pocket or about the person, holding or using the device, having it with you all the time; tapping scrolling, gesturing, texting, using buttons, all these actions are made possible by touch. Touch provides a realistic and humane side to digital experiences and makes it tangible. Although smartphones are now commonly used to perform various operations by directly touching the screen, there is still room for the emotional evolution of the sense of touch. The emotional experience of touch could be enhanced in the relationship between human gestures and certain operations and in relation to various technologies, such as vibrations and temperature sensors.
- Hearing is the original and fundamental function of a phone in addition to making calls, voice plays an important role in many situations, such as listening to music, watching videos, and video chatting. Exploring and deepening the relationship between sound and human emotions can improve the emotional experience value of digital experiences through the smartphone interface. For example, there are many possible relationships between music and human emotions such as healing, energy charge, and intimacy. On the other hand, constant buzzing and ringing can also cause increased unpleasant emotions.
- Sight is the first touch point of interaction between the smartphone and the human being. It starts with the user’s first awareness of the smartphone, and then the actual use of the smartphone to see all the visual elements in action. While the emotional uplift of the home screen, the post-action feedback in operating applications and other operations, and the emotional impact of video and still images are apparent, there is still a lot of potential in the pursuit of emotional comfort in the AR world, where the real world through the camera and the digital image on the screen coexist. Furthermore, the recent rapid advancement of the metaverse and related technologies such as 5G network, NFTs, blockchain, and AI, which so to speak “Metaverse of Things (MoT)” (e.g. Maksymyuk et al., 2022; Mozumder et al., 2022) can drive the new innovation spaces in smartphones and related products and services, which can lead new digital experiences in sight emotion.
- As futuristic sensory and emotional dimensions, the senses of smell and taste are full of future possibilities yet to be seen. Currently, the experience of digitally sensing smell and taste itself is not common. However, in recent years, technologies have been developed to digitize taste and smell (e.g., Hariri et al., 2016; Obrist et al, 2016; Kerruish, 2019; Li et al, 2023). The digital experience of taste and smell in smartphone interfaces will be a pioneering area for the design of future digital experiences.
The relationship between the five senses and emotions is very closely linked and offers many possibilities and suggestions for considering the emotional design of digital experiences on smartphones. Knowing that the people with whom you are communicating are also touching, hearing, and looking at their mobile phones, often at the same time as you speak or connect also heightens the psychological and emotional aspects in humans. In addition to exploring and researching further emotional aspects of touch, hearing, and sight, which are the most prevalent senses today, in light of future sensorial technological advances, the design of digital experiences based on the emotional connection with the senses of taste and smell has great potential for developing a variety of futuristic scenarios.
Table 4: Insights of emotional requirements regarding future smartphones
Sensorial dimensions | Integrated insights |
Touch |
|
Hearing |
|
Sight |
|
Smell and taste |
|
Hypothetical scenarios
Second, based on the above insights into future smartphones, two hypothetical scenarios were derived. These hypothetical scenarios are intended to provide conceptual and archetypal hypotheses for the future meaning of smartphones (e.g., Curry, 2009). Two hypotheses out of 8 picked due to strong narratives, scenarios and relatability concluded on after social collaborative & iterative discussions among students, professors, and clients. Smartphones exist at two metaphorical levels: the “smartphone-as-a-companion” and the “smartphone-as-a transformer.” In both cases, different types of Generation Z’s emotional needs are met by the smartphone.
Smartphone-as-a-companion
The first hypothetical scenario is “smartphone-as-a-companion”. This hypothetical scenario explores the direction of seeking a more core sense of security and comfort, such as healing and attachment to smartphones. The detailed scenario was developed as follows.
“Humans have a biological predisposition to form an attachment to social partners, and they seem to form attachment even toward non-human and inanimate targets. Attachment styles influence not only interpersonal relationships but interspecies and object attachment as well. It was observed that the phone is more than a simple object but part of Generation Z’s complex lives, more a companion specifically. Young people develop attachment toward their smartphones, expressed by proximity-seeking and separation stress behavior. People’s attachment style influences their relationship with smartphones. People’s higher attachment anxiety predicted a higher tendency to show attachment-like features regarding their mobile. The proximity of the phone is equally important for people with different attachment styles. Constant contact with others through the phone is more important for people with higher attachment anxiety. Hence, through user interactions, Generation Z is their companion right from the moment they wake up till they sleep as they are constantly connected to their phones. Generation Z visualize their phone as a companion for emotional comfort and other desires.”
Smartphone-as-a-transformer
The second hypothetical scenario is that of a smartphone-as-a-transformer. This hypothetical scenario is based on the premise of constant technological evolution, and the rethinking of the smartphone from a more emotional aspect, given that its functionality will continue to evolve in multiple dimensions in the future.
“With ever-evolving technology, cell phones have replaced things and made some things completely obsolete. For example, radios and music players have been completely replaced by the addition of apps built into cell phones. Similarly, books, wallets, maps, tools such as calculators and compasses, scanners, audio/video players, recorders, etc. have been transformed from their physical existence into cell phone applications, available at the press of a few buttons. In other words, the cell phone is, in a sense, a transformer.”
Furthermore, in the user survey, when asked what they want from their smartphones, in addition to their emotional needs, users wanted a variety of activities and material purposes, some of which was very futuristic, such as transportation and knowledge embedding, and digital twin. Various future technological developments will further accelerate the implications of smartphones as transformers. Not only the AR space, which will be an extension of the digital space with the real space but also the emergence of the Metaverse space will transform and extend the various reality experiences of the digital twin into Metaverse experiences, creating new experiences. Therefore, people would be more emotionally attached to smartphones if they were physically more than that and could perform human-like activities, etc.”
These two hypothetical scenarios were exploratively constructed as directions for future smartphone ideas. These scenarios are based on the analysis of India’s Generation Z in envisioning future smartphones and are hypothetical narratives for examining the emotional design of smartphones.
Framework: Emotional Design for Digital experience
Third, based on these findings and hypotheses, a hypothetical emotional design framework for digital experiences was formed. In constructing the prototypical framework, we referenced several academic theoretical frameworks on emotion and consciousness. The first is a categorical distinction between emotion and consciousness (Tsuchiya and Adolphs, 2007). They argue that emotion consists of an emotional state (functional aspects, including emotional response) as well as feelings (the conscious experience of the emotion), and that consciousness consists of level (e.g. coma, vegetative state, and wakefulness) and content (what it is we are conscious of). Freud’s classical theory of consciousness was also referred (Freud, 1915;1924). According to Freud, consciousness consists of three stages; conscious mind, preconscious mind, and unconscious mind. The conscious mind consists of all the mental processes of which we are aware. The preconscious mind Contains thoughts and feelings that a person is not currently aware of, but which can easily be brought to consciousness. And the unconscious mind comprises mental processes that are inaccessible to consciousness but that influences judgments, feelings, or behavior. Based on these two theoretical backgrounds, a prototypical framework for the emotional design of digital experience was proposed, by considering the eight aspects of emotion obtained from the desk research and primary research conducted in this study (Fig. 1).
This circular prototype framework consists of two parts: the eight emotional aspects and the three levels of depth of awareness aspects. The eight emotional aspects represent the emotional desires of Generation Z regarding smartphones explored in this PBL research. The depth of these aspects was set up so that they could be evaluated on three levels of awareness. This framework allows us to evaluate the emotional aspects of the digital experience regarding smartphones according to each scene, which in turn allows us to improve the design regarding the emotional aspects.
Fig. 1: A prototypical framework of emotional design for digital experience
In fact, one case study was set up and evaluated. The students created an example customer journey map of setting up a new wallpaper screen for a smartphone and evaluated it by Generation Z users (Fig. 2). In the customer journey map, the pain points of the target users were identified, and based on the emotional principles and awareness level that triggered them, they were marked on the framework as appropriate. For instance, when the users decide the wallpaper image, they feel a sort of anxious feeling about what the result would be. Touch & sight are the senses at play providing input for the triggers. The emotional principles of “assurance” and “rewarding” have been triggered -assurance was an unconscious trigger, and rewarding was the conscious trigger in the action. This allows for a deeper understanding of what emotions are triggered and can be enhanced to provide better human-centered design solutions. Based on the assessment, the level of awareness is plotted and visualized in this framework (Fig. 3).
Based on this principle, a framework for determining the level of consciousness emotion was developed and a prototype framework was proposed by the student. This framework was identified as a more attractive and organic way to analyze and quantify emotions. The framework provides a holistic perspective on emotional experiences which gives new dimensions to user analysis. Not solely relying on the user journey, the framework can give a diverse scope to understand user behavior.
Fig. 2: An evaluation of the framework with a customer journey
Fig. 3: A result of evaluation of a customer journey
Discussion and Conclusion
This paper addresses a research gap between emotional design and digital experience, aiming to explore future digital experiences, focusing on Generation Z and their use, perceptions, and new meanings and emotional values associated with smartphones. Through a constructive method of Research through Design, based on a case of Project Based Learning (PBL) in an Indian design school, this study tackled three focal issues. First, we gained insights into what emotion smartphones bring to generation Z and what they want from them in the future. For generation Z, smartphones are an inseparable part of their lifestyle and an extension of themselves. Smartphones are also like a therapist, a charger, and a portal to family and friends. Second, based on the above findings and insights, we derived two hypothetical scenarios: making the smartphone a companion and transforming the smartphone. These hypotheses are intended to provide conceptual and archetypal hypotheses for the future meaning of smartphones (e.g., Curry, 2009). Finally, from all the research and user studies conducted to date, we constructed and proposed an affective framework for determining emotions at the level of consciousness, using established affective principles. Since emotions, being intangible, are difficult to map, emotion maps proved to be a more attractive and organic way to analyze and quantify emotions.
This paper contributes to both design education and futures research. First, it makes a piecemeal knowledge contribution to the research gap: affective design and digital experiences. As digital technology becomes a necessary foundation for our society, business, and daily life, it is important to build on the practical and academic contributions of design to human emotions. Second, through the practice of Project Based Learning in industry-academia collaborations, design education has contributed to providing suggestions for the future. In particular, we found that PBL in industry-academia collaboration in university education is one of the best methods to explore weak signals (Saul, 2006) and scenarios (Curry, 2009) of how Generation Z perceives the current situation and hopes for the future with regard to certain products and services such as smartphones. Third, the results clearly show that design education can not only train future professionals in the field of design management but also provide them with better opportunities to propose the future (Slaughter, 2008).
It should be noted that this study has several limitations. First, methodologically speaking, it relies on a single case study, the Research Through Design (RtD) project. Therefore, this study should be widely implemented by other different methodologies and scopes. For example, a case study of real-world practice on aspects of emotional design in digital experiences would provide a deeper and more practical understanding of this topic. In addition, the vast amount of theoretical knowledge on digital experience and emotional design still exists independently and would provide meaningful suggestions and research directions for both academia and practice. Second, the limitations of the hypothetical framework itself that has been produced need to be pointed out. It is a limited framework, based on the theoretical model of Tsuchiya and Adolphs (2007) and Freud (1915, 1924), but piloted on the eight affective dimensions explored in this PBL. While we may have been able to demonstrate a certain possibility of constructing a theoretical model of Emotional Design through the PBL approach, with reference to theories of emotion and consciousness, the practicality of the model itself and the strengthening of its theoretical background will require further academic and practical However, it must be emphasized that further academic and practical research is needed to strengthen the practicality of the model itself and its theoretical background. It should be emphasized that this is only a limited framework produced within the educational course of PBL.
It is worthwhile to describe possible future research topics related to the research areas of Emotional design and Digital Experience. First, it is important to reexamine the broader topic of emotional design from the perspective of digital experience. This study focuses on “user/consumer-driven research” of the emotional design of digital experiences (Ho and Siu, 2012). Therefore, as Ho and Siu (2012) categorize, other broad areas of emotional design, such as “designer-driven research” and “user/consumer-designer relationships through design outcomes and other means,” would be worth further study. Second, with respect to Emotional Design, a focus on the differences with respect to Real Experience and Digital Experience. Third, Emotional design within digital spaces such as the metaverse would be an interesting topic. How realistic emotions can be created in a metaverse space will require progress in design research in various fields.
Finally, as digital experience has become an important experience domain worldwide, we expect that many cross-disciplinary studies on emotional design and digital experience will be raised in the coming decades.
Acknowledgements
We would like to express our gratitude to the Asian company sponsor and the collaborators who participated in and cooperated in the industry-academic educational project. We also would like to thank all the students who made a great effort to research a new frontier in emotional design studies.
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