Looking hot or feeling hot: What determines the product experience of warmth?

Warmth is an important characteristic for clothes, home interior and some leisure related products. We used an experimental approach to determine the relative importance of material and colour for the product experience of warmth. We designed products (scarves and breakfast trays) using warm and cold stimuli (colours and materials) in four different combinations and asked respondents to evaluate the warmth and pleasantness of each product. The results demonstrated that both colour and material contribute equally to the judgments of warmth in both products. However, the pleasantness of a product could not be predicted on the basis of the pleasantness attributed to its colour and material. A follow-up interview study distinguished between the literal and figurative meanings of warmth. The literal meaning is related to physical warmth and comfort. The figurative meaning is associated with social interaction, intimacy and friendly atmosphere. The figurative meaning was mentioned more often in association with products than the literal meaning.