Towards a theory-based method for evaluation of visual form syntactics

Achieving an aesthetically appealing product appearance is of increasing importance for attracting customers and creating valuable product experiences. In highly competitive consumer product branches, manufacturers spend ever increasing amounts in the development high quality product appearance, identity and expression. In this scenario, efficient design processes for assessing appearance characteristics and evaluating visual appreciation Of product form is crucial. This requires design methods that support the designer in assessing the content and structure of the product form, and evaluate the visual effect as perceived by customers. In this paper, a methodology for analysis and evaluation of visual product form is presented and implemented in a real form assessment case. The aim of the method is to formally articulate, clarify and evaluate form syntactics; the formal-aesthetic characteristics and functionality of the visual product form. The methodology contains two main parts; form syntactic analysis followed by form syntactic evaluation using empirical user clinics. The paper presents the findings from using the methods in an exploratory design evaluation project in collaboration with a large vehicle manufacturer in Sweden. In the project, the methods were refined, implemented and tested in a formal aesthetic evaluation process of the structure and effect of the visual form of a vehicle exterior. The findings indicate that the methods are potentially efficient for describing and externalizing the effect of the visual product form, and to assess the visual appearance as experienced by users.