Resonance testing: An Industry approach for experiential concept evaluation

This paper describes a professional practice in user-centred product concept design that is embedded in a method called resonance testing. It is a nimble method used and developed in industry to ensure that desired properties of design are communicated to the user through the design. It tests product concepts for emotional and functional design attributes such as personal needs, believability, and differentiation. In resonance testing, the users of a specified segment experience design artefacts of variable abstraction levels to see how they perceive the qualities of a concept and how it matches their preferences and expectations. We find that literature lacks both effective user feedback solutions for early product decisions and discussion of the known challenges for doing that. The paper describes how resonance testing generates qualitative insights, builds confidence in new concepts and helps designers to develop the right concept for further development. We present two cases studies of utilising this method.