Typology of the experiences

Marcos Buccini1, and Stephania Padovani 2

Federal University of Pernambuco, Design Department, Centro de Artes e Comunicao, Av. Prof. Moraes Rego, 1235 - Cidade Universitria, Recife - PE Brazil - CEP: 50670-901. marcosbuccini@gmail.com 2 Federal University of Paran, Design Department, Centro de Cincias Humanas, Letras e Artes, Rua dos Pintassilgos, lote 10, quadra 06. Recreio da Serra. Piraquara PR - Brazil CEP.: 83305-620 s_padovani2@yahoo.co.uk
1

Abstract. The human being does not separate emotion from cognition, even when using or buying a product. This is one of the reasons why product and interface designers started to consider the emotions and pleasures that a product can bring to the user as part of their creating process. So, words as feelings, emotions, experience, pleasure and beauty have become more relevant in usability and marketing research. Research in this field, however, is scarce and the efforts concentrate in the area of product design, with only a few studies in the field of graphic and digital design. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to fulfill this gap by identifying the different categories of experiences that design can provide.

1 Introduction
When a product is designed many aspects should be taken into consideration such as the way of fabricating this product, the material to be used, its usability, practicality, ergonomic factors, among others. Nevertheless, in this process, there is a factor still not much observed by designers: the experiential factor. That is the sensation, the emotion and the pleasure a specific product may provide to its user. According to Norman: the emotional side of design may be more critical to a products success than its practical elements [1]. It seems a fact that users buy products not only based on reason but also on emotions. This reveals that besides searching for aspects related to the products functional performance, users also search for pleasure when using it [2, 3]. Regardless of the type of the product, projecting the experience in a positive and efficient way is the new challenge for designers. With that in view, one should invest in studies in order to build a solid basis in the area of experiential design. Based on the Emotional Design, by Donald Norman; Pleasure-based Design, by Patrick Jordan; and Experiential Marketing, by Bernd Schmitt, theories, this paper intends to establish categories of experiences that can be generated in peoples mind considering their interaction with a product. So, experience and experiential design are defined,

the theories above mentioned developed and, finally, the experiences categories presented.

2 Defining Experience
The concept of the users experience is still being developed by many researchers from different areas of knowledge. Many times, the term experience is used as a synonym of pleasure or emotion. Other times, like in Garrett studies, it may be used to describe the result of the usability of a product, not considering emotional factors [4]. According to Csikszentmihalyis definition anything that makes life more valuable and pleasant is called flow. It is something beyond the satisfaction of basic needs. It goes further the limits of stimulus-response reactions and it is related to positive experiences and to the enjoyment of life. The flow acts through the senses, the thought, the body in flow, through other people and work as flow. It can be understood, therefore, as the key to personal human experiences [5]. Schmitt defines experience as individual happenings that occur as a response to a stimulus [6]. These happenings often occur as the consequence of observation or participation in real, imaginary or virtual happenings. The experiences are not spontaneous, but induced, which having a point of reference (they start somewhere) and intentionality (they aim at something), they are, basically, all the aspects found in the interaction of the subject with the object [7]. In this study, experience is understood as an individual phenomenon which occurs in a persons mind as a result of the processing of a complex number of internal and external stimuli- outer and inner- and that depends on ones subjective interpretations.

3 Experiential Design
The experiential design considers all kinds of experiences a user might have when interacting with a product. It seeks not only to fulfill the users urgent and objective needs, but also to understand and fulfill the human motivations and aspirations related to product. The factors related to experience are very subjective and depend on dynamic aspects still hard for the professional to foresee and measure such as: past experiences, taste and ideas that change with time and personal life situations [3]. Shedroff observes that some elements of experience, though being very subjective features and difficult to be measured, are fully recognizable (distinguishable), reproducible and able to be projected [8]. That way, the project of experience means to create to the user an integrated context of medias and situations which may turn the

use of the product into something important and positive [9]. Distributing experiences into different categories might help with their study, recognition and planning.

2 Based Theories for the Typology

In order to create the typology of experiences that occur in the relation between the user and the product, the classifications adopted by the Pleasure-based Design, Emotional Design and Marketing Experiential theories were crossed to find differences and similarities. 2.1 Pleasure-based Design The Pleasure-based design tries to identify the importance of pleasure in the creation and use of products. Jordan defines pleasure as the emotional, hedonic and practical benefits associated with products [2]. When a wish or a human need is fulfilled, the human being begins to have other necessities and wishes. This is the reason why its so important that products be always improved to please users. Jordan proposes there is a relationship among functionality, usability and pleasure (figure 1).

Pleasure Usability Functionality

Fig. 1. The consumer needs hierarchy. Adapted from Jordan [2]

Without functionality, the first level, the product will not be useful because it will not have the necessary qualities to perform a function. That may cause the users dissatisfaction. Usability, the second level, is about how easily a product can be used on a satisfactory way. On the third level, users look for other characteristics such as pleasure. Therefore, products cant be mere tools, but objects with life with which people can have a relationship [2]. Therefore, the Pleasure-based Design theory tries to understand people and the role products play in their lives in a holistic way by establishing a relation between aspects of the product and the benefits each provides. Besides, the theory develops methods and metrics to measure and certify the pleasure brought about by products. Based on Tiger, pleasures are classified under four levels [10]:

a) Physio-pleasure: associated to the senses such as the touch, the taste, the hearing, and the vision, also including the factors related to the sensuality; b) Socio-pleasure: derived from the relationship among people mediated by products such as telephones, letters etc. They also come from the relationship among individuals who share similar thoughts. The products, in this case, are part of their social identity: for example, the Harley Davidson motorcycle. Other products may promote the conviviality and relationship among people, like the coffee machine in a company. c) Psycho-pleasure: refer to peoples cognitive and emotional responses when using the product; d) Ideo-pleasure: taken from books, music and art, not in the sensorial way, but intellectually. It is the artistic value of a product. The Pleasure-based Design theory is important to the experiences typology proposed in this research because it deals with pleasure categories considering their origin; in other words, considering where the stimulus come from.

Physio-pleasure Pleasure Usability Functionality Socio-pleasure Psycho-pleasure Ideo-pleasure

Fig. 2. The Pleasure based Design classification. Adapted from Jordan [2]

2.2 Emotional Design Emotion can contribute to situations where reason seems to play the most important role. According to Norman, emotion modifies the way the cognitive system takes decisions and the positive emotions are important in the learning process and in the creative thought [1]. Experiments made in Japan by Kurosu e Kashimura [11] and in Israel by Tractinsky [12] proved that attractive objects are considered easier to manipulate than unattractive ones. This was due to the fact that people find solutions to problems in

the use of such products more easily because they have their creativity stimulated by aesthetics. According to Kuniavsky, an attractive product influences on a persons willingness to use it, the same way as their easiness of use will make the person repeat the experience [7]. Aiming to investigate the relation between cognition and emotion, Norman presents a three level, as shown in table 1.
Table 1. Levels of brain processing. Adapted from Norman [1]

Classification Visceral Design Behavioral Design Reflective Design

Example Appearance Pleasure and efficiency of use Personal satisfaction, good memories and self-image

The visceral level, first brain level, pre-conscious, pre-thought, is considered the most irrational part of the brain. On this level, the human being acts instinctively, responding automatically to stimulus. In design, the visceral level corresponds to the initial impact of a product, mainly by its appearance, touch or sensation. On the other hand, in the behaviorist level there are peoples every day actions which become automatic by systematic use. In design, one can say that automatism acts upon the experience of using a product. This experience of use has many faces: function, what is expected from a product; performance, how well this product performs this task; and usability, how easy it is to the user to perform this task. Finally, there is the reflexive or contemplative level. Here one finds the greatest levels of emotions, feelings and cognition. In the design area, this level refers to interpretation given to a product. Its important to highlight that these levels interact with each other. However, in the visceral and behaviorist levels there are only emotional experiences, without interpretation or consciousness. Interpretation, understanding and reason come from the reflexive level, the most vulnerable to thought, culture, experiences and education variations, and to individual differences. Comparing the Emotional Design theory to the Pleasure-based Design theory, one can observe some differences and similarities, which make these theories complementary to each other. The greatest similarity lies between Normans concept of Visceral Design, and Jordans concept Physio-pleasure. They seem to differ only in terminology. On the other hand, Normans Reflective Design is the combination of Jordans Psychio-pleasures and Jordans Ideo-pleasure. The greatest difference between these authors theories is that Normans model does not contemplate Jordans Socio-pleasures. Norman however, contributes further with the users experience issue: the Behavioral Design, responsible for the positive experience in the every day use of a product. The latter aspect is also discussed by Jordan, but the

author doesnt consider the usability of the product as part of the pleasures related to products.

Physio-pleasure Pleasure Socio-pleasure Psycho-pleasure Ideo-pleasure Usability Functionality

Visceral Design

Behavioral Design

Reflective Design

Fig. 3. Relation between the Pleasure-based Design and the Emotional Design

2.3 Experiential Marketing Similarly to the design area, the marketing theories researchers had already pointed to the importance of emotional factors in products. From the 80s on, emotion starts to be considered a factor that influences consuming decisions. One of the main contributions in this phase was Holbrook and Hirschmans study which marked the introduction of the studies about hedonic consumption 1 . The authors stress fantasy, feelings and fun as opposed to information processing so far adopted. The theory proposed by Holbrook e Hirschman presents a consumer that also feels pleasure, and emotions are shown as a crucial aspect of consuming [13]. The investigation of emotions is the key to the successful application of an experiential perspective in marketing. In the 90s, the theme was matured for some time and investigated by many authors. For instance, Westbrook and Oliver verified that emotion would be a decisive factor for consumers satisfaction in the after-shopping evaluations [15]. Richins improved the scales of emotional measurement, by proposing measurement through a multidimensional space, considered more adequate to research such a complex idea as emotion in consuming [16].

Aspects such as fantasy, feelings and fun when buying [13, 14].

One of the main researchers in the experiential marketing field is Schmitt, who proposed the adoption of the experiential market concepts based on the clients psychological theory and practice as well as on his social behavior. With that in view, He designed the basic characteristics of experiential marketing: the consumers experiences should be the focus; consuming should be seen as a holistic experience; the consumer as a rational and emotional being; methodologies and tools used by the experiential marketing professional should be eclectic [6]. Schmitt developed a structure called Experiential Strategic Modules (ESMs) shown on table 2. The structure works as a typology of different experiences divided into sense, feeling, thought, action and identification.
Table 2. Experiential Strategic Modules (ESMs). Schmitt [6]

Modules Sense Feeling Thought Action Identification

Features of experiences Related to sensory factors Related to emotional factors Related to intellectual creative factors Related to body factors concerning the physical aspect Related to social and cultural factors

The sense experiential module corresponds to the experiences related to the sensory factors, through vision, hearing, touch, taste and smell. Very much used in the first experience of the consumer with a brand or product, its main objective is to call attention. Another experiential module is the one of feelings, which deals with the search for pleasure and avoidance of suffering. Even with this conceptual segmentation, the acceptance that reason and emotion influence the individual behavior has stimulated further investigations, creating the field of Motivational Research. In this field, the motivation levels were specified in terms of peoples priorities when fulfilling their needs [6, 17]. The words motivation and emotion come from latin (movere- move). Emotions and motives move the individuals towards their objectives. Emotions are signs that show things are not doing fine or the opposite. At this point, one finds the relation of emotions to motives: emotion is the center of motive, especially when there is some conflict or movement towards an objective [18]. The feelings experiential module appeals to personal emotions, aiming to create affective bonds that may vary from good mood to strong emotions. Its necessary to know which stimuli are able of creating certain emotions and if the consumer will be willing to accept them [6]. Besides, there is also the thought experiential module, which tries to attract the consumers creative thought to a company and its products through an intellectual

appeal. The intention is to create cognitive experiences that attract consumers on a creative way. The experience that focuses on thought uses surprise, fear, and provocation. This kind of experience is very much used by high technology products with the main purpose of simulating the consumers involvement into a refined and creative thinking that may generate, as a consequence, the reevaluation of a company and its product. It is also able to provoke important changes in societys patterns, making people think in other terms about hypothesis and expectations [6]. In the action module, experiences related to the body, to behavior patterns, to the life style and to the interaction with other people are created. The body experiences involve the physical aspect, such as products and stimuli for the body; motor actions or body movements; body signs, gestures that influence social interaction; and environmental influences on physical desires, when one create an environment to rouse physical desires. The life style experience induces the public to notice that certain products or services may bring them status. For example, when a service or product is shown being used by people, mainly by those publicly recognized as being successful, the intention is to make a straight association of these peoples life style to these products and services and, consequently, an approximation to those kinds of consumers. Finally, in the identification experiential module people are related to the brands social and cultural context. The identification experiences are divided into many levels that may vary from a straight relation among referential groups (where consumers feel bonded to each other) to the complex establishment of brand communities, into which consumers consider the brand as the center of social organization. The five ESMs (sense, feeling, thought, action and identification) have their own structures and principles. However, the experiential appeals hardly ever result in a unique type of experience. According to Schmitt, two or more ESMs are combined to make the experiential appeal stronger [6]. The analysis of the three theories reveals many similarities. For example, the experiential feelings module is considered by Jordan as physio-pleasure and by Norman as visceral design. The experiential identification module, which creates certain types of relationship among people through a specific product, is very similar to Jordans socio-pleasure theory. The experiential marketing theory deals, however, with an aspect that may be added to the two other theories: the experiential action module, in which a product is a tool for a specific behavior.

Physio-pleasure Pleasure Socio-pleasure Psycho-pleasure Ideo-pleasure Usability Functionality

Visceral Design

Senses Identification Feeling

Behavioral Design Action Reflective Design Thought

Fig. 4. Relation between the Pleasure-based Design, Emotional Design and the Experiential Marketing

3 Experiences Categories
It was possible to distinguish six main experience categories (table 3) based on the theories discussed before. Each category has different origins and results. However, many times they occur at the same time, making differentiation difficult. Those categories provide an important tool for studding how each type of experience is performed as well as their result.
Table 4. Categories of experiences derived from the users interaction with the product

Modules Experiences related to the senses Experiences related to the feelings Social experiences Cognitive experiences Use experiences Motivational experiences The experiences related to the senses are the most basic. They happen faster and instinctively, having low cognitive performance. These experiences are straightly related to the sensory organs and also to sexuality. In design, this experience category responds to appearance stimulus, touch or to product sensations. For example: the smell of a new car, the beautiful shape of a product or a pleasant surface to the touch. The experiences related to the feelings are emotional reactions originated from the use of a product. This category is very subjective, varying a lot from person to person. They already have a more advanced cognitive level. In the products, feeling is

related to past experiences and to the Somatic Markers 2 . For example: to use a product which reminds of someone special. The social experiences happen among individuals and are intermediated by products. They vary a lot according to the individuals involved, the technologies used and also to the context in which the experience occurs. In this category, the reactions occur because of the actions of other participants and are also related to the product itself. For example: a cell phone with which it is possible to send text messages, pictures, videos and also calls to friends and relatives. The cognitive experiences are related to the thought and to the interpretation of the codes by the user. The products characteristics that influence the interpretations might be esthetics, semantic and symbolic. For example: a product considered as a work of art like the chairs designed by the Bauhaus school. The category of use experiences concerns the usability and functionality of the products. This type of experience has been studied by many areas such as ergonomics, and more recently, HCI 3 . The subjectivity in this kind of experience is in a much lesser degree than in the other categories. For example: a car jack that is easily used. Finally, the motivational experiences derived from the experiential action module of Schmitts experiential marketing theory, which happens when the owning or use of a product is responsible for a certain behavior of the user. For example: a bicycle that motivates the user to exercise.

4 Conclusion
Every interaction between user and product causes some kind of experience, good or bad. Users will live different experiences that depend not only on the product, but on the context in which the experience occurs and also on the user itself. But how can design help to achieve these goals? The experiential design proposes a new way of planning the product by observing the relation of the user to the product in an broader way, aiming at the rational motivations along with the emotional and human factors of the users. The consumer does not want to be seen just as a mass with no identity. People want to be unique and different, but included into affinity groups. Just selling products is pointless; the human and unique side of each user should be touched, captivated and valorized. Products must not only work perfectly or comfortably, they must surprise, cause

2 3

Features and characteristics of a product that bring pleasant or unpleasant moments back [19] HIC (human-computer interaction): factors that influence the human-computer (PREECE et al., 1994).

empathy, fascination and be reminded as an important part of peoples life experiences. The academic research in this field is very recent and the theories and definitions are still being designed. Thus, value should be given not only to field researches, but also to theoretical researches which aim to build specific knowledge about Experiential Design. This study intends to give a small contribution to this knowledge. Ideally, these experiences should be planned by designers, because even if subjectivity hinders total control, a better idea of what a user will try, minimizing negative experiences is certainly possible. The typology of experiences defined in this article appeared as the result of the comparison among the categories presented by Jordan, Norman and Schmitt. It aimed to unite similar characteristics and make the different ones distinct. Therefore, six categories of experiences were created: (1) experiences related to the senses; (2) experiences related to feelings; (3) social experiences; (4) cognitive experiences; (5) usability experiences; (6) and motivational experiences. Its believed that the division in categories makes the product planning easier, improves the positive experiences and diminishes the negatives ones. It also helps to decide what kind of experiences will be the priority according to the type of the product, the marketing strategy and the kind of user the designer intends to target. As every classification, this typology needs to be tested in market and academic researches. It cant be considered as a finished work. Future researches may show the necessity of changes or even the creation of new categories of experiences.

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