E11: Beyond usability-designing
for pleasure
Option E AHL Human Factors
Design
IB Technology
“Four pleasure framework”
1.
2.
3.
4.
The four pleasure framework was
identified by Professor Lionel Tiger from
Rutgers University in New Jersey, US. It
includes the four areas of:
Physio-pleasure
Psycho-pleasure
Socio-pleasure
Ideo-pleasure
Physio-pleasure
IB definition:
Pleasure derived
from the sensory
organs, including
pleasures
connected with
touch, taste, smell
and sensual
pleasure.
Promoting physio-pleasure
Physio-pleasure can be derived from the feel
of a product during use (for example, from
wearing a silk garment, or the smooth feel of
an iPod), its taste (for example, from eating
chocolate), or its smell (for example, the
smell of leather, a new car, coffee, fresh
bread from a bread making machine).
Psycho-pleasure
IB definition:
Pleasure derived from peoples mental and
emotional reactions to a product.
Promoting psycho-pleasure
In the case of products, this includes issues
relating to the cognitive demands of using
the product or service and the emotional
reactions engendered through using it.
For example: putting together flat-packed
furniture.
Promoting psycho-pleasure
Another example: it might be expected that a
word processor that facilitated quick and easy
accomplishment of, say, formatting tasks
would provide a higher level of psychopleasure than one with which the user was
likely to make many errors. The latter word
processor should enable the user to complete
tasks more easily than they would with the
latter. The outcome would be more
emotionally satisfying and less stressful.
Consider windows 98 Vs windows vista
Socio-pleasure
IB definition:
Pleasure from relationships with others, for
example, specific relationships with
friends, loved ones, colleagues or like
minded people or with society as a whole
when it is related to status and self image.
Promoting socio-pleasure
Products and services can facilitate social
interaction in a number of ways.
Email, internet and mobile phones, for
example, facilitate communication between
people.
Other products may promote social
interaction by being conversation starters, for
example jewellery, artwork or furniture.
Clothing can communicate social identity and
indicate that a person belongs to a particular
social group.
Ideo-pleasure
IB definition:
Pleasure derived from satisfying peoples
tastes, values and aspirations.
Promoting ideo-pleasure
Products that are aesthetically pleasing can be
a source of ideo-pleasure through appealing to
the consumers tastes.
Values could be philosophical or religious
or may relate to some particular issue
such as the environment or a political
movement.
These values can be
embodied in products.
For example, a product
made from biodegradable
materials might be seen
as embodying the value of environmental
responsibilities.
In conclusion:
The Four pleasure framework promotes a
holistic view of product design and marketing.
It is a useful tool for taking a structural
approach to product design and marketing.
It can act as a practical tool.
Using the framework can help to make us
more thorough and methodical in our
approach than would be the case if we tried to
approach the whole thing in an unstructured
way.