Doctoral Thesis

Emotional design explores the idea that appearance, feeling, and pleasure are just as important product attributes as its functionality. Humans have an unconscious understanding of the significance of various physical objects through interaction with them, their cultural symbolism, learned experiences, or intuitive reactions. Objects express this meaning through their physical form. Their functional design indicates how they are used, their color and materials reflect the aesthetic qualities of culture, and their shape conveys a combination of aesthetic and expressive meaning.

The shape of objects is one of the first aspects of design perceived by a person and also the first artistic element expressed by a designer through form lines. The role of designers is to utilize the intuitive perception of shapes by humans and use this „language of products“ to manipulate the meaning of product communication. The presented work demonstrates the possible ways in which the perception of objects can be influenced.

Currently, there is a significant qualitative disorder in design. Therefore, when using a product, it is essential not to ask, „What do you think about it?“ but rather, „How did it make you feel?“ In today’s material world, more products are consumed than necessary, making it crucial for humanization to „separate the wheat from the chaff“ in design as well. Being able to effectively utilize the emotions offered and making conscious rather than impulsive purchases is essential.

Resulting Products

Gee up!

The rocking horse is a movement-based toy for children made of glued layers of cardboard (providing strength and stability). It is designed based on research results in emotional, creative, and playful design. The simple shape of the rocking horse stimulates children’s imagination toward the animal they want to ride. The last layer of paper provides an excellent space for drawing whatever they want (e.g., a saddle, animal skin pattern, or motorcycle design).

Daisy Chair

The fundamental idea was to design a product inspired by a natural motif. A simple pattern or shape that is reproducible and can be assembled into a coherent whole. The goal was to find a form that evokes positive reactions in people and analyze them more deeply. By analyzing the bending of cardboard sheets used as floor protection during construction work, we arrived at a cross-section resembling a tear or petal. Daisy is designed to be very easy to assemble on-site when needed. All you need are layers of cardboard and plastic connecting straps hidden within the chair’s structure. The chair is intended for people moving into a new home, those who frequently travel between spaces, or those looking for a highly affordable, convenient, and eco-friendly seating solution.

Exhibition and Project

Made in Paper is a joint project of the Product Design Studio and the Digital Design Studio at Tomas Bata University in Zlín and the Department of Furniture and Interior Design at the Technical University in Zvolen. It represents a conceptual experiment in paper furniture design, focusing on the use of paper as a structural material as well as a distinctive expressive element. This creative activity resulted in a collection of more than twenty products and a series of five exhibitions in four European countries.

The concepts of young designers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia present one possible perspective on the application of various types of paper and paper-based materials in furniture design. The final outputs are paper products suitable for home environments. The authors oscillate between rational and emotional approaches to the theme.

Milan Design Week – Czech Center, Milan, Italy (April 17 – April 22, 2018)
Junge Designszene – Runde Ecke, Dresden, Germany (Sept 20 – Oct 14, 2018)
Algarve Design Meeting – Fabrica de Cerveija, Faro, Portugal (May 22 – May 26, 2018)
SNG Zvolen Castle – Zvolen, Slovakia (Jan 17 – Feb 17, 2019)
Design Forum – Furniture and Housing, Nitra, Slovakia (March 5 – March 10, 2019)
Łódź Design Festival – Łódź, Poland (May 17 – May 26, 2019)
Faculty of Architecture and Design, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Slovakia (Oct 21 – Nov 8, 2019)