Designing for Connection: Emotional Value in Parent-Child InteractiveLighting

Abstract

With the evolution of modern family education concepts, parent-child relationships and children's emotional development have become focal points of societal concern, thereby generating new household demands for lighting products equipped with parent-child interaction functions. To this end, this study aims to systematically investigate the composition of emotional value in parent-child interactive lighting products. Employing a mixed-method approach combining questionnaires and in-depth interviews, a total of 112 valid questionnaires were collected and 6 groups of user interviews were completed. Based on an analysis of user research and emotional design theory, this study extracts three core dimensions for the expression of emotional value: visual expression, interactive feedback, and narrative resonance. Furthermore, it proposes a three-level model of emotional value experience, progressing layer by layer from individual experience, to dyadic interaction experience, and finally to family system experience. The research indicates that the current lighting market has functional limitations in the realm of parent-child interaction, with a mismatch between parental needs and the functions of existing products. Therefore, optimizing design must first focus on the expression of emotional value and the construction of experience. This research framework provides theoretical guidance for the design of parent-child interactive lighting products, emphasizing a user-centric approach and the practice of human-centered design principles. It fills a gap in the study of emotionalized smart home products and points the direction for future product innovation in this field.