Investigating the life-span of cork products through a longitudinal approach with users- Interim results

Abstract

Products with long life-spans are generally preferred form an environmental perspective. This paper addresses the longevity of cork products, and the respective influencing aspects. This is accomplished through a longitudinal study where several cork products are used, and at different moments in time interviews are performed with the users about multiple aspects, such as satisfaction, performance, quality, aesthetics and attachment. The results from the eight months moment are presented here, with a focus on situations of moderate and low attachment. With few exceptions, the life-span of the cork products is good, and the general appreciation and evaluation is good/ very good or excellent for most product-user situations. From the cases analyzed, several influencing aspects and interrelations were identified. With regard to material related aspects, two main issues have been identified which could benefit from improvement: surface changes and water interaction.