We see with our mind, not just with our eyes

We often seek to understand the responses a product’s appearance sparks but fail to link these responses back to the visual features that trigger them.

This is a critical omission, the paper says, because if we know which physical features triggered which perceptions, designers can more precisely create products that connect the desired psychological responses.

There are two reasons why this is important. First, the rapid growth of online sales means product appearance takes on a more influential role as sales shift online.

The second reason is functional equivalency. With increased accessibility to advanced manufacturing technology, it is becoming more difficult today for consumers to differentiate products in terms of performance.

“Any product visual stimuli can impact consumers’ associations with the product and their subsequent inclination to purchase or not,” the report says.

Colin Ho, Chief Research Officer, Ipsos Innovation and Market Strategy, Ipsos, states that “despite our best intent not to judge by appearance, our brain automatically and instinctively does.

“Finding precisely which physical features trigger which psychological response gives manufacturers a competitive advantage.”