Exploring Consumer Taste by Award-Winning Product Designers via the Elite Interview

Abstract

This study aims to explore the significance of taste in product design. Product design is a service-oriented discipline that encompasses the design and development of products catering to the diverse and evolving needs of users. Industrial designers often navigate the balance between the "form and function" of a product, harmonizing aesthetic appeal with practical utility. A deeper understanding of consumer tastes could enable designers to create products that better align with user preferences. In other words, a well-designed product should successfully satisfy the consumer's taste.Researchers conducted elite interviews with ten award-winning product designers from Taiwan, who have received accolades such as the iF, IDEA, Red Dot, GD, and Taiwan Excellence Awards. Based on their perspectives and insights, valuable ideas and concepts regarding the relationship between consumer taste and product design were identified and summarized. The results of the interview indicate that: 1) the taste is constituted by two parts: invisible internal and visible external. Everyone’s taste is unique, subjective, consistent and categorized; 2) consumers choose products with personal taste features to express self-images, show their socioeconomic status, or achieve social identification and adoration; 3) when it comes to taste, consumers always have consistent demands for product design in similar properties or functions; 4) according to elite designers, developing novel user experiences is essential for advancing the understanding of consumers’ taste demands. Finally, we hope this study serves as an important guide for the product design process and methodology, particularly aiding future researchers conducting related studies.

Keywords: Product Design, Aesthetics, Elite Interview, Consumer Taste

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1007431