Morphing Systems: Analysing the Influence of Different Parameters on the Perception of Morphing

Abstract: Gestalt-changing products allow customers to tailor a product to their individual needs or enable the product to adapt to them. While the initial and target states of such changes are often clear, the kind of change and how it is perceived by the user are often unclear but essential. Morphing is a special form of gestalt change, in which the transformation is perceived as a smooth change over time (Rommel et al. 2025). The defined characteristics help to categorize morphing and allow a comparison to other types of gestalt changes. At the same time, different parameters were identified which allow a high degree of variety. This paper analyses these parameters in detail to determine how they influence the perception of a gestalt change as morphing. To investigate these parameters, an online survey was conducted with n = 103 participants. In the survey, 11 different gestalt changes were presented and evaluated. Two of these served as references: one representing a purely morphing change and the other a purely distinct change. According to Seeger (2005), a product’s gestalt can be divided into four subgestalts: layout, shape, colour and surface and graphic. To assess whether a change in a single subgestalt is perceived as morphing, and to identify which subgestalt is most dominant in shaping this perception, four animations were designed in which only one subgestalt changed. Additional models were included to examine how combinations of smooth and erratic transitions affect the perception of a gestalt change as morphing. The study also explores the impact of transition speed and animation curves. After viewing each animation, participants completed a questionnaire assessing both, the overall perception of the gestalt change and the specific morphing characteristics observed during the transition.The results of the online survey provide a basis for distinguishing morphing from other types of gestalt changes. More importantly, they suggest morphing should be understood as a spectrum, where specific parameters can enhance or diminish the perception of a change as morphing. The data also shows that certain subgestalts have a stronger influence than others. Specifically changes in layout have a high impact on a change being perceived as morphing. Moreover, it can be seen that short changing times, combining distinct and morphing changes and certain animation curves can disrupt or even break the perception of morphing entirely. Finally, changes in specific subgestalts, like the layout, more strongly contribute to perceiving the resulting gestalt as a distinctly new one.The article provides reliable statements on the possible parameter spectrum for morphing. Based on these results, further investigations are possible, especially in comparison to other types of gestalt change. Rommel et al. 2025 Rommel, Pascal; Holder, Daniel; Schmid, Peter; Maier, Thomas: Morphing Systems: Defining the Characteristics of Morphing in Modern Product Design. In: Stuttgarter Symposium für Produktentwicklung SSP 2025: Tagungsband zur Konferenz, 2025, p.199-209Seeger 2005 Seeger, Hartmut: Design technischer Produkte, Produktprogramme und -systeme: Industrial Design Engineering. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2005

Keywords: Morphing, gestalt-change, shape-change, visual perception, industrial design, online survey, morphing systems, transformation

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007122

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