Preference for Abstract Diagrams and Sentiments Applied in a Product Selection

Searching and buying items from online shops has become common these days. Although recommender systems have supported consumers to find products online, it is challenging to select suitable products, such as clothes and smartphone cases, which are called Kansei-oriented products. These products have various visual designs but have the same function, and it is arduous for consumers to express their preferences and choose desired products. Although marketers and designers have empirical knowledge regarding the abstract diagrams in relation to product design and consumers' product selection, its mechanism has not been fully understood. In this study, first, we investigate whether common tendency exists between preference for products and for abstract diagrams. Secondly, to understand and support consumers' understanding concerning their preferences and product selections, we analyzed the process whereby abstract diagrams affect human cognition and their selections of Kansei-oriented products. As a result of two experiments, we found that the abstract diagrams affect cognition and the ability to choose products. Further, we believe that our findings may be beneficial for the process of preference expression and marketing through the use of abstract diagrams. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://crativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) Peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of KES International.