SEEKING THE IDEAL FORM - PRODUCT DESIGN AND CONSUMER RESPONSE

The physical form or design of a product is an unquestioned determinan t of its marketplace success. A good design attracts consumers to a pr oduct, communicates to them, and adds value to the product by increasi ng the quality of the usage experiences associated with it. Neverthele ss, the topic of product design is rarely it ever, encountered in mark eting journals. To bring needed attention to the subject of product de sign and enable researchers to better investigate design issues, the a uthor introduces a conceptual model and several propositions that desc ribe how the form of a product relates to consumers' psychological and behavioral responses. After presenting this model, the author describ es numerous strategic implications and research directions.