Design and tactile perception: a case study on the finishes of the ceramic tile textures

Design e percepção tátil: um estudo a respeito dos acabamentos e texturas do produto cerâmico de revestimento

abstract:

The object’s surface has a great influence on the sensorial perception of the users, transmitting symbols and characteristics that can be interpreted by the users in a cognitive way. Design can attribute sensorial characteristics to the object’s surface, however, few studies exist about how the users perceive the object’s surface. This study aims to investigate the user's tactile perception, aiming at understanding the most relevant and attractive physical and aesthetic characteristics of the ceramic tile product through the eye tracking tool. The covering ceramic has a versatile characteristic that says respect textures, forms and finishes, being very useful in research regarding the users’ tactile perceptions. This work is characterized as a case study, we conducted a study on 5 (five) individuals (professionals in architecture), in a show room of a company well regarded in the area of ceramic tile. The results obtained by this study can help surface designers, to understand the users’ perceptions, so that they can have valid instruments in the understanding of the concepts related to perception, for the development of new products.

Keywords:
Design; Tactile perception; Ceramic tile