Abstract

This paper explores the relationships between subjective experiences and objective design parameters. It presents findings from a research project that questions the notion of attachment between users and objects, attempts to understand its emotional origins and seeks to propose design strategies that favour its development. The researcher summarizes the initial outcomes derived from ethnographic interviews conducted among thirty people. This paper suggests that utility, appearance, symbolic meaning and users' experience are four key reasons that sustain the emotional attachment. The study also reveals the importance of sentimental values which users associated with particular products, generated by relationships, memories, and life experiences. Four design strategies are proposed corresponding to each type of attachment. Sustainable design strategies informed by these insights and their implications for design practices are to be explored. KEYWORDS: Sustainable design strategies, Attachment, Emotion, Experience