Ruth Mugge

Emotional Bonding with Products: Investigating Product Attachment from a Design Perspective Ruth Mugge

People can develop strong emotional bonds with certain products. When a person experiences an emotional bond with an object, this object triggers one's emotions and conveys a special meaning. Consequently, people are reluctant to dispose of the products to which they feel attached. Stimulating product attachment may thus extend the product lifetime and can be a valuable strategy for sustainable consumption. Knowledge on experiencing attachment to consumer durables and on how designers may stimulate these emotional bonds through product design is thus valuable for manufacturers and society as a whole. This book provides insight in the concept of product attachment. Specifically, the author investigates which determinants may affect the strength of the emotional bond with products, how this bond develops over time, and the relationship between product attachment and product lifetime. Furthermore, the author uncovers the role of the product and its design for bringing about the determinants of product attachment. This knowledge should provide designers of consumer durables with opportunities to strengthen the emotional bonding with products.