How do mobiles communicate?: The role of product design in product related consumer responses: The case of mobile telephones

Reconciling artistic approaches to industrial design and consumption studies we set up a conceptual model for assessing the impact of industrial design, product form in the case of ordinary objects from two perspectives: in the context of making choices and its influence on the usage experience. Propositions are given to study relating consumer responses with respect to characteristics of product form, individual differences: materialism and processing preferences. Underlying empirical research has been executed in Hungary, in the case of mobile telephones. We set test our model in an quasi experimental study. We report on product related consumer responses with respect to differences in mobile design and also to the impact of personal and attitudinal factors. The theoretical consequences of the empirical outcomes will be discussed.