ATTENDEES WILL:

  • Gain exposure to academic and industry perspectives on the factors of a product’s design that make it more appealing to consumers
  • Hear cutting-edge research findings from a variety of disciplines (marketing, management, engineering, etc.) that stimulate new thinking about design
  • Influence scholars’ research agendas in the product design area
  • Have an opportunity to partner in academic and classroom projects

The McCombs Research Excellence Fund at The University of Texas at Austin in Partnership with the Center for Customer Insight and Marketing Solutions Present:

A Conference on ‘Consumer-Oriented’ Product Design ~ October 12 - 13

The remarkable success of the iPod and the iPhone, Dyson vacuum cleaners, OXO kitchen products and many other products speaks to the following important customer insight: a product’s form—it’s shape, color, size, etc.—can significantly impact its acceptance by consumers.

However, while product design, as a topic of study and as a practice, has made significant strides in recent years, we don’t have a clear and scientific (as opposed to “gut feel”) picture of what constitutes good design.

The aim of this conference is to gain insights into the principles of good design from a consumer’s point of view. Speakers will share their insights on the relatively narrow question of “What product forms are likely to elicit the most favorable customer reactions?”

The McCombs Research Excellence Fund and The Center for Customer Insights and Marketing Solutions are proud sponsors of this conference, which will take place on October 12 and 13. Speakers from industry and various academic disciplines will focus on issues such as aesthetics; individual differences in receptivity to design; form-function “unity”; emotional, metaphorical and symbolic aspects of product design; and universal principles of design. Attendees can expect to gain a richer understanding of both conceptual and practical factors that impact product design.