A wheelchair can be fun

In this paper an approach to emotion-driven design is introduced and demonstrated with a children's wheelchair design case. First, emotional responses towards existing wheelchairs have been assessed with a non-verbal self-report instrument. The results of this assessment were transformed to starting points for a new design with the use of a theoretical model of product emotions. With these starting points a new design was created and detailed into a working prototype. In a second study, the emotional impact of the new design was evaluated. It was found that, with respect to the emotional impact, this new design differentiates in a positive way from existing models. In the light of these findings, it is discussed how theoretical and empirical knowledge can assist designers in their attempts to manipulate the emotional impact of their designs.