Creating an Affective Design Typology for Basketball Shoes Using Kansei Engineering Methods

Research has shown that for athletic shoes, visual attributes such as color and style can be more important than ergonomic or technical attributes in consumer purchase decisions. Previous studies have also shown that psychological feelings and emotions are in fact tied to products based on individual design characteristics that create a ‘gestalt’ feel for the product. Kansei engineering is one method commonly used in product development to gain a better understanding of emotions and their linkages with specific design characteristics, which can then be used to design products that communicate the desired ‘feel’. The current study posits that the design characteristics of shoes and the emotions that they elicit can be statistically grouped together, creating Kansei/affective design types that have applications for product development, marketing, and mass customization. An exploratory study using male millennial athletes revealed four affective design types for basketball shoes, which are associated with differing design characteristics.