This paper introduces an approach for designing products with added affective appeal. We first establish the necessity for such an approach, given the complexity of existing tools and methods, and the growing need to take into account users' affective preferences in the design process. Secondly, we expose the theoretical framework behind our approach, grounded in a transfer of tools from sensory evaluation to qualify and quantify a product's key attributes. We present the results of two studies that allowed us to assess and validate the approach by applying it to the preliminary design phase of an office chair for Steelcase, a leader in the office furniture industry. Office chairs were found to be useful vehicles as people have a prolonged and intimate sensory interaction with this product. A comparison of users' affective reactions to a group of office chairs in different sensory situations allowed us to assess the relative weight of each sense in the perception of the product. Critical product attributes were singled out by applying a free categorization approach to the group of office chairs; free categorization being the act of creating meaningful groups of products according to their perceived similarities or differences.

RÉSUMÉ. Le verre, matériau de référence, offre une large palette de finitions et de décorations. Une des techniques les plus anciennes et les plus répandues est le dépolissage, elle donne au verre un aspect « givré et soyeux », particulièrement apprécié par les consommateurs. Cet effet peut être obtenu par différents procédés : trempage dans des bains d'acide, sablage, laquage, pulvérisation de frittes d'émail ; chaque procédé produisant un aspect dépoli plus ou moins différent. Le dépolissage par bain d'acide est aujourd'hui, en termes d'aspect et de maîtrise technique, le procédé de référence. Or pour des raisons écologiques, les verriers se doivent de lui trouver une alternative, soit en innovant, soit en améliorant les autres techniques, mais en prenant soin d'obtenir le même aspect sensoriel que le dépoli acide, d'où la nécessité de pouvoir le mesurer. Nous démontrons comment l'évaluation sensorielle constitue un outil méthodologique adéquat de mesurage des aspects perçus dans un processus d'innovation pour les procédés de dépolissage du verre. ABSTRACT. Glass, a well established material, offers a wide range of finishes and decoration. One of the most widespread and oldest techniques is frosting, giving the glass a silky and translucent aspect, particularly appreciated by customers. This effect can be obtained by various processes: acid etching, sandblasting, lacquering, enamel spray; giving more or less different frosted aspects. Frosting by acid etching is today, in terms of aspect and technical control, the benchmark process. However for ecological reasons, glassmakers must find an alternative, either by innovation, or by improvement of the existing techniques, but taking