Sensory Aesthetics

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SENSORY AESTHETICSHow Social Science can Inform Design Aesthetics

Moin RahmanIra Jhangiani

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A recognizable, repeatable motif with an established visual syntax

Sensory Aesthetics

Design Language

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Sensory Aesthetics

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Sensory Aesthetics

Design Language

AESTHETICS

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sensory aesthetics as a first order orientation response that is automatic, fast, nonconscious, and effortless to the aesthetics of the stimuli leading

to an instant and implicit conclusion on its aesthetic valence.

Sensory Aesthetics

“Thin Slicing” the Aesthetics

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Sensory Aesthetics

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Sensory Aesthetics

delicacy X brutality

riot X serenity

indifference X interest

- Le Corbusier

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Sensory Aesthetics

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Why Aesthetics?: THE MESSAGE

“thrusting, upwardly mobile executive”

“ecologically sound, right-on trendy”

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Roots of Art: “Deep Connection”

Paleolithic Cave Paintings(Lascaux, France)

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sensory aesthetics as a first order orientation response that is automatic, fast, nonconscious, and effortless….

Sensory Aesthetics

Revisiting Sensory Aesthetics Definition

The Whole Body as a Sensory System: -Assess the environment in multiple modalities (“cathectic basis”)- Esthetic emotion (knowledge\experience have little or no role)

“preferences need no inferences”

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Sensory Aesthetics

Socially shared, collective consciousness

Deeply rooted desires Fundamental

behaviors

Physical, demographic, organizational & semiotic setting

Potential for action

Zeitgeist: spirit of the times (fashion and fads)

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Applying Sensory Aesthetics to Inform the Design of a Law Enforcement “mission critical” Product

(an illustration)

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Deep Structures

Deeply rooted desires

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Every activity or goal is motivated by deeply-rooted desires to fulfill intrinsic & extrinsic needs arising from wants such as food, shelter, social cohesion, etc.

Deep Structures

Deep structures are the unearthing of deeply-rooted desires of an individual or a society, which have been shaped by their existential needs, histories and philosophies.

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Human Needs: Maslow’s Hierarchy

Deep Structures

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Hobbesian Choice

The Promise of Security Binds Society Together

Deep Structures

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Deep Structures

Were humans savage but for the constructs of civil society?- Thomas Hobbes

Or were they civil but for the corruptions of civil society?

- Jean-Jacques Rousseau

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Social Contract

The Law Enforcer

Deep Structures

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Survival

Safety

Security

Serious

Deep Structures’ Aesthetic

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Behaviors

Fundamental behaviors

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The conscious and nonconscious development, cultivation and execution of behavioral patterns when seeking to accomplish routine goals in daily life, at work & play.

Behaviors

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Security through Prosematic Behaviors

Behaviors

rudimentary behaviors that are necessary to survive and reproduce(driven by the R-complex)

signature display

challenge display

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Security through Prosematic Behaviors: Live Action Shots

Behaviors

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Security through Prosematic Behaviors

Behaviors

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Security through Prosematic Behaviors

Behaviors

bonding display

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Security through Prosematic Behaviors

Behaviors

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Behaviors’ Aesthetic

Authoritarian

Bold

Invincible

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Culture

Socially shared, collective consciousness

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Culture is the Collective programming of the mind which distinguishes the members of one group or category of people from another

- Geert Hofstede

Culture

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Culture

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Culture

PLAY

PLAY

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Culture

Symbols

Rituals

Heroes

a culture expresses its values through…

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Culture

Symbols

Patterned ways of thinking, feeling and reacting are acquired and transmitted mainly by symbols.

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Culture

uniforms

convey values & intents, visible evidence of group cohesiveness, and stimulate citizens’ impulses to join in.

probity & virtue(judge, clergy)

Expertise(naval officer, airline

pilot)

courage(marine, fire)

Extraordinary cleanliness(doctor, food worker)

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Culture

Symbols (Artifacts)

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Culture

Rituals

“collective activities that are technically unnecessary to the achievement of the desired ends, but that within a culture are considered socially essential, keeping the individual bound within the norms of the collectivity”

Marines Core Values:

Honor

Courage

Commitment

PLAY

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Culture

Heroes: positive role model

Possess highly prized characteristics

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Culture

Power Distance

“the extent to which a culture accepts and expects the unequal distribution of power.”

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Physical Authority- visual- auditory- tactile

Mental Authority- auditory- technical

Moral Authority- reputation - branding

Culture

Power Distance (tangible and intangibles)

INSPIRING AWE

DEEP REVERENCE

LOFTY EMOTION

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Culture

Deterrence over elimination of threat

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Culture

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“the role of police is best understood as a mechanism for the distribution of non-negotiable coercive force.” - Egon Bittner

Force: Always an Option

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Sound as a medium to express unequal distribution of power

Sonic Weapon

1 2 4

35 6

6

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Sonics: European Police Siren

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Subsonic bass tones to stir and stimulate the audience [frenzied response]

Sonics

Nazi Rally

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“the manner in which a culture distributes emotional roles between genders .”

Culture

Masculinity vs. Feminity

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Culture

Masculine and Feminine Texture

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Culture

Masculine and Feminine Form

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Culture

Masculine and Feminine Products

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Culture

Masculine and Feminine Icons

Concrete (Masculine)

Abstract (Feminine)

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Culture

Masculine and Feminine Form

EndomorphMesomorphEctomorph

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- reduced power distance (friendly, approachable)- mildly masculine- can “posture” (in synch with officer’s posturing displays)

Yet, a no-nonsense, expression of the law enforcement aesthetic

Action!!!

London Metropolitan Police

MTH800 [FRED]

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- High power distance (assertive)- aggressive, autonomous and strong- can “posture” (in synch with officer’s posturing displays)

Amplification of the law enforcement aesthetic

Action!!!

MTP850 [Barney]

Korea National Police

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Action!!!

Head to head comparison

MTH800 [FRED] MTP850 [Barney]

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-Police culture (coping mechanisms): - training - conditioning - shared experiences

Attributes- honor- sense of duty- ethics

“the extent to which a culture programs its members to feel either comfortable or uncomfortable in unstructured situations.”

danger

novel

unknown

surprising

different from

usual

Culture

Uncertainty Avoidance

PLAY

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“me” vs. “us”: celebration of the individual over the team, uniqueness over uniformity.

Consumer orientation: highly personalized product

Mission orientation: Uniformity & team-centric

Culture

Individualism vs. Uniformity

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Ecology

Physical, demographic, organizational & semiotic setting

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Ecology is the general science that studies the relationship between the organism and the external environment

- Ernest Haeckel

Ecology

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Ecology

Elements of Ecology Features (examples)

Geographical\Physical terrain, climate, altitude, etc.

Demographic socioeconomic strata, age group, gender, etc.

Operational modes mobile vs. fixed; night vs. day; covert vs. overt; personal vs. work

Organizational codes public vs. private sector; single vs. multi user; emergency vs. regular; mission critical vs. non critical.

Interactions slow vs. fast; economical vs. deliberative; utilitarian vs. pleasure deriving

Semiotics design and aesthetics of pre-existing artifacts, symbology, jargon, clothing, cuisine, etc.

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Ecology: Chinese-Tibetian Railway

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Ecology

Elements of Ecology Features (examples) Aesthetic Implications

Geographical\Physical Snowcapped mountains, high

altitude (16,000 ft.), low oxygen (30% - 40% of sea level), cold, permafrost

Physically demanding, cognitive impoverishment

(low oxygen), physiologically taxing,

dangerous, high risk, scenic and breathtakingly beautiful

Semiotics Tibetan’s love for color and

resplendence vs. the official Chinese

[communist] aesthetic that is stark, dour and

plain.

Conflicting aesthetics (Tibetan vs. Communist).

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Ecology: Tibet vis-à-vis China

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Ecology Economy and Social Structure

Ecology

East Asian

Greek

relationshipscontext

middle wayharmony

independentatomistic

decontextualizelogical

instrumental

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Ecology

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Ecology

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Affordance

Potential for action

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Affordance

The intuitive grasp or potential for action

Affordance

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Affordance

Cognitive affordance: design feature that helps users in knowing something.

Physical affordance: design feature that helps users to physically do something.

Sensory affordance: design feature that helps users sense something.

Functional affordance: design feature that helps users accomplish work.

Cultural affordance: is a commonly agreed upon [cultural] convention adopted by a society or group with regard to the comprehension, interaction and aesthetic sensibilities of a product or system.

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Affordance

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Affordance

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Epoch

Zeitgeist: spirit of the times (fashion and fads)

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Epoch

Jet Age: Streamlined Decade (jet age)

DC-3(circa 1930)

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Epoch

Jet Age: Streamlined Decade (jet age)

1934 Chrysler Airflow Union Pacific Streamliner

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- traditional thinking is outdated - an utopian outlook- rising from the ashes of WW I – a rebirth “new”- democracy: people are sovereign - put people in control of their lives- an obsession with technology, machines, materials

Modernism was characterized by:the unadorned, geometric forms, abstracted shapes, and bold colors

Epoch

- people, politics, periods & technologies

1914-1939

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Epoch

Myth making mythical status

Myths help us make to sense of our experience within a culture

They serve the ideological function of naturalization: perpetuate prevailing cultural values, attitudes and beliefs

“natural” to social groups: that which confers power and privilege

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2007 Toyota Tundra

2006 SALES 124,508 (previous model)LAST MAJOR REDESIGN New this year.CASH INCENTIVES $1,315NOTABLE The 5.7-liter V-8 is great, providing brute force without being brutish.ASSESSMENT Just what the domestic trucks need: a serious competitor, at last, from Toyota.

2007 Dodge Ram 1500

2006 SALES 199,771LAST MAJOR REDESIGN 2002 model.CASH INCENTIVES $5,502NOTABLE Ram was the originator of the bold big-bully look, with huge grille and dropped fenders.ASSESSMENT Not a benchmark when new, and now past due for a

makeover.

NOTABLE:NOTABLE: Ram was the originator of the Ram was the originator of the bold big-bully look, with huge grille and bold big-bully look, with huge grille and dropped fenders.dropped fenders.

NOTABLE: The 5.7-liter V-8 is great, NOTABLE: The 5.7-liter V-8 is great, providing brute force without being providing brute force without being brutishbrutish

Myth making

Epoch

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Corresponding Author Contact:moin.rahman@motorola.com

(or)ergonomist@aol.com

Validating the Sensory Aesthetics Framework

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• Which of these six filters exist?

• How do these filters interact?

• How do we measure these filters?

• How do we apply this SA filter framework in design?

Validating the Sensory Aesthetics Framework

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• Identifying the design strategy – Application in the current design lifecycle

• Review of existing tools and techniques

• Associating the 6 filters to existing tools

• Consolidating existing tools to create a methodology applicable to the SA framework

Validating the Sensory Aesthetics Framework

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Method Quantitative Qualitative Author/Developer

Kansei Engineering Nagamachi

Semantic Differential Osgood

Cultural Probes Gaver

Collaging Sanders

PrEmo Desmet

Property Checklist Jordan

Pleasurability Checklist

Jordan

Narrative Analysis Oliver, Polkinghorne, Bruner

ZMET Approach Zaltman

Sensogram Lindstrom

Review of existing tools and techniques

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Quantitative

Qualitative

LindstromSensogram

ZaltmanZMET Approach

Oliver, Polkinghorne, Bruner

Narrative Analysis

JordanPleasurability Checklist

JordanProperty Checklist

DesmetPrEmo

SandersCollaging

GaverCultural Probes

OsgoodSemantic Differential

NagamachiKansei Engineering

Author/DeveloperMethod

Quantitative

Qualitative

LindstromSensogram

ZaltmanZMET Approach

Oliver, Polkinghorne, Bruner

Narrative Analysis

JordanPleasurability Checklist

JordanProperty Checklist

DesmetPrEmo

SandersCollaging

GaverCultural Probes

OsgoodSemantic Differential

NagamachiKansei Engineering

Author/DeveloperMethod

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PrEmo

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Quantitative

Qualitative

LindstromSensogram

ZaltmanZMET Approach

Oliver, Polkinghorne, Bruner

Narrative Analysis

JordanPleasurability Checklist

JordanProperty Checklist

DesmetPrEmo

SandersCollaging

GaverCultural Probes

OsgoodSemantic Differential

NagamachiKansei Engineering

Author/DeveloperMethod

Quantitative

Qualitative

LindstromSensogram

ZaltmanZMET Approach

Oliver, Polkinghorne, Bruner

Narrative Analysis

JordanPleasurability Checklist

JordanProperty Checklist

DesmetPrEmo

SandersCollaging

GaverCultural Probes

OsgoodSemantic Differential

NagamachiKansei Engineering

Author/DeveloperMethod

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Story Telling

Missing Picture

ZMET: Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique

Triad Task

Metaphor Probe/Expand the Frame

Metaphor Probe/ Expand the Frame

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Sensory Non-Visual Metaphors

Vignette

ZMET: Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique

Digital Imaging

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Quantitative

Qualitative

LindstromSensogram

ZaltmanZMET Approach

Oliver, Polkinghorne, Bruner

Narrative Analysis

JordanPleasurability Checklist

JordanProperty Checklist

DesmetPrEmo

SandersCollaging

GaverCultural Probes

OsgoodSemantic Differential

NagamachiKansei Engineering

Author/DeveloperMethod

Quantitative

Qualitative

LindstromSensogram

ZaltmanZMET Approach

Oliver, Polkinghorne, Bruner

Narrative Analysis

JordanPleasurability Checklist

JordanProperty Checklist

DesmetPrEmo

SandersCollaging

GaverCultural Probes

OsgoodSemantic Differential

NagamachiKansei Engineering

Author/DeveloperMethod

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Sensogram

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Sensogram

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journey as entertainment… entertainment as journey…

Sensogram