Researches On Significations Based On Mental Models In Product Design

With the development of technology and the increasing of human demands, more and more products break away from traditional molding, while possessing all kinds of complicated functions. Now that it is difficult for people to recognize the relationship between form and function by their direct experiences, obstruction occurs in product cognizance and application.Designers will not tell consumers how to use their products, while the best way is to tell consumers through products themselves. Therefore, when a designer is designing a product, he or she has to think about whether their mental models are the same as consumers'or not. However, the differences of mental models should exist in different individuals, which mainly manifest in the aspects of logical thinking and knowledge accumulation. In addition, designers have to modify and optimize their own mental models, so that the products being designed will be widely accepted.Signs play a significantly important role in product design. According to the researches on influences of mental models on significations, it makes the product itself convey the denotation and connotation through its own material, shape and color. Therefore, consumers can quickly and exactly catch the information which designers want to express, so that they know how to use it. Consumers have to know how to use products, while they do not have to know the reasons. However, designers should know the both, which will bring about better designs.The purpose of this paper is to make systematic researches on product significations combined with mental models, through the analysis the characteristics of mental models. In addition, this paper draws a conclusion of the intervention principles of mental models. It is hoped that this paper can provide some enlightenment and thoughts for product designing in future, through the analysis of exact examples of product designing.