User engagement---providing additional interaction and meaning with products

When using products, people are sometimes involved in activities other than the products' primary use. Some of these activities are peripheral, while others may reinforce people's experiences with the products. The latter is related to the focus of this research—user engagement. User engagement is defined as a situation in which a product provides one or more additional features related to its primary function, so the user engages more senses through the product experience. For example, if a toaster is transparent, the user can see the bread darkening; the transparent sides stage the toasting process as a visually engaging performance. The user has additional interaction or meaning with the toaster. This kind of product satisfies people who expect participation, contribution, or involvement when using products. Interestingly, people use engaging products in a way that is frequent, intense, active, vivid, or complete, etc.;To understand user engagement, this research firstly discusses the definition, examples, and characteristics of user engagement. In addition, a research methodology and two analytic tools are developed for researching user engagement. Next, based on six design professionals' opinions and multiple subjects' assessments, six product samples enabling user engagement are selected.;Subsequently, the ways in which the six product samples engage users are investigated through observational interviews and supported through an online survey. The results show that the six product samples provide additional interactions and meanings to engage users. User engagement can be sorted into three types: sensory, physical, and emotional engagement. Sensory engagement takes place when products engage the user's senses. Physical engagement takes place when products cause users to act. Emotional engagement takes place when products evoke specific ideas and/or feelings that affect users.;This research also suggests that the six product samples represent three types of attributes that foster user engagement: mimicking, inspiring, and staging a function. Mimicking means that the appearance of a product simulates a character, object, or circumstance. Inspiring means that a product is associated with another interesting object, activity, or circumstance. Staging a function means that a product is designed to present a compelling view of an invisible mechanism or to display its attractiveness.;Last, a preliminary framework for generating product ideas that enable user engagement is developed. This framework comprises procedural guidelines that help designers think about how a typical product can be turned into an engaging product.