Four dimensions of design similarity

To benefit from the value of a brand, a product family must have a coherent product family look. It is however not clear, what in the design contributes toward the coherence or similarity between the products. In this work, a product family identity is broken down into its basic design elements. The contribution of each of these basic design elements toward similarity is investigated. We present a framework of design elements in four dimensions. Examples of these design elements include color, texture, shape, and form. The contribution of these design elements toward the perceived product similarity is investigated. A two phased factorial analysis was performed. The first phase involved simplified shapes consisting of five design elements in the first two dimensions. In the second phase, a similar survey was repeated using images of real products. A survey of product pairs was given to a total of 52 participants. The results show that using the same shape, texture, color, and pattern has a significant effect on making a product pair seem similar to one another. The results will help a designer to design product families that have a coherent product family look but yet look clearly different from the competing brands.