Product emotions are a multifaceted phenomenon. Artefacts always involve, evoke and influence the affective state of the viewer, user, purchaser or owner. But are product emotions real emotions? How can product emotions be described? Is the product emotional or the person? How can these emotions be assessed?

We assume that product emotions can only be described as a multidimensional construct. In contrast to traditional marketing methods for assessing product emotions through direct questioning (e.g. "Do you think this product has a noble expression?"), the basic premise of PEC is that affective experience is mostly unconscious and can not be made conscious - or is subject to distortion and bias when made conscious.

Hence the PEC-Tool employs a projective measurement method, where the affective experience is projected onto a manikin - a figure put together from single parts of clothing, shoes and heads. The Manikin is the projection surface of the participant’s subconscious project attributions and attitudes. The projective method is supported by a playful approach in the test procedure to avoid the atmosphere of a laboratory situation.

The PEC-Test follows the premise that individual participants can produce manikins that are independent their own characteristics, i.e. not a reflection of the participant but rather the ideal user of the tested product. Hence the measured PEC of a product is independent from the intended function of the product. E.g. people might prefer to use a sporty looking outfit – in order to look sporty - not because they are sporty or are making sports.

As stated above, there is no singular PEC factor. PEC is a multidimensional construct that has to be measured with different parameters, which are not absolute but can be included or excluded according to the characteristics of the product. Accordingly, the results of a PEC-Test are multifaceted, some are graphical, some verbal, they include the personality of the manikin and its socioeconomical milieu as well as emotional terms related to the product.

The PEC-Tool can enrich the communication process between designers, the contracting body and end customer. The output of PEC promotes the understanding for emotional aspects of design and can be employed with finished products as well as products that still are in development

The PEC-Tool is Internet based. If you are interested in a test login to get an impression of the tool, please contact the PEC team.

e-mail PEC team