Social connectedness and autonomy influences on aesthetic pleasure for product designs

My research is on the influence of social connectedness and autonomy on aesthetic pleasure for product designs. Aesthetic pleasure for product designs is often researched through manipulating visual properties of design (e.g., symmetry and complexity). We contribute by researching how perception of a product design’s social function influences aesthetic pleasure. People have the inherent social needs to feel autonomous and to feel connected to others and use product designs to express their autonomy or to whom they are connected. From an evolutionary perspective, product designs provide aesthetic pleasure, because it helps direct beneficial behavior for people’s survival. Consequently, we argue and investigate that product designs that help fulfill people’s social needs are aesthetically pleasurable. Concluding, we propose that a product design is aesthetically pleasurable when people perceive that a product design may help in fulfilling their inherent social needs.

For a list of my publications check my publications page.