Seeing is believing: investigating the influence of transparency on consumers’ product perceptions and attitude

Transparency is a design characteristic enabling consumers to see the technical details underneath the product cover to create a unique visual effect. However, involving transparency in product design increases costs; it is thus essential to investigate the effects of transparency to help designers and manufacturers to determine the cost...

‘Complexity in simplicity’: the effects of visual complexity on consumers’ comprehension of product innovations

Designers are frequently involved in embodying product innovations. It is challenging to embody really new products (RNPs) because<br/>consumers often have difficulty comprehending them. This study explores the value of visual complexity for designing RNPs. In study 1, an experiment was conducted (n = 77) to test the effects of visual complexity...

“Smart Home System is Like a Mother”: The Potential and Risks of Using Product Metaphors to Influence Consumers’ Comprehension of Really New Products

Driven by innovative technology, really new products (RNPs) incorporate new functions that provide significant benefits for consumers. Consumers, however, often experience difficulty understanding RNPs, which hinders their further adoption. To facilitate consumers’ comprehension, the use of product metaphors in RNPs is a promising strategy...

Should product innovations look simple or complex? The effects of visual complexity on consumers' comprehension of product innovations

Consumers often have difficulty understanding the really new functions of product innovations. This study explores the potential role of product appearance, and more specifically visual complexity, to improve consumers’ comprehension of product innovations. Because visual complexity is directly determined by designers, it is essential to equip...

Preliminary study on the effects of visual complexity on consumers response to product innovations