Influence of Technology on Perceived Obsolescence though Product Design Properties

Miguel-Angel Pardo-Vicente (), Patricia Camacho-Magriñan and Pablo Pavon-Dominguez
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Miguel-Angel Pardo-Vicente: Department of Mechanical Engineering & Industrial Design, Faculty of Engineering, University of Cadiz, Av. Universidad de Cádiz 10, Puerto Real, E-11519 Cadiz, Spain
Patricia Camacho-Magriñan: Department of Mechanical Engineering & Industrial Design, Faculty of Engineering, University of Cadiz, Av. Universidad de Cádiz 10, Puerto Real, E-11519 Cadiz, Spain
Pablo Pavon-Dominguez: Department of Mechanical Engineering & Industrial Design, Faculty of Engineering, University of Cadiz, Av. Universidad de Cádiz 10, Puerto Real, E-11519 Cadiz, Spain

Sustainability, 2022, vol. 14, issue 21, 1-16

Abstract: Formal or perceived obsolescence describes the fact that users decide to stop using a product, even though it still fulfils its function. This is because the design is perceived as obsolete, which also leads to negative product semantics. This is often the case with products that are frequently updated to incorporate the latest technology. The aim of this paper is to understand the influence of technology on the perception of design. To this end, 297 people were surveyed about their perception of formal obsolescence in regard to different elements of a car and a smartphone, based on their design properties: shape, colour and material. In addition, technological attributes (some of which were dystopian) were added to these products to assess the influence of current or obsolete technology on participants’ perception of obsolescence. Possible correlations were assessed by means of a chi-square analysis. The results show that technology does not influence all design properties in the same way, with shape being more important than colour or material. This is especially true for multimedia products, such as vehicle displays or smartphones. The results of this paper can help design engineers to create products that last longer, while also reducing their environmental impact.

Keywords: product design; perceived obsolescence; formal obsolescence; psychology; user (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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