Perceived Characteristics of Materials in a Product Aesthetics Context

Materials possess a number of objective characteristics, the values of which can be determined experimentally. On the other hand, materials also have a number of subjective characteristics, such as perceived quality, perceived performance, and so on. These perceived features are very important in constructing the product’s aesthetics. The paper presents the results of three experiments performed to determine perceived characteristics (quality, performance, durability, modernity, and aesthetics) associated with four classes of materials (metal, plastic, wood, and ceramics). Computer-designed product models were used in the experiments. All products used in the experiment were low-tech. The design was varied on three levels: minimal, elaborate, and exceptional. Differences in perception were found for each level of design. It has been found that the elaborate design improves the perception of the characteristics of the materials, but the exceptional design has a negative influence on the perception. Plastics benefit greatly from the contribution of design, while wood (traditional material) is better perceived in the case of minimal design.