ABSTRACT
Consumer reaction to products can depend on aesthetic product features and product and package design (Bloch, 1995; Holbrook & Anand, 1992: Raghubir & Greenleaf, 2006). Product designers vary aesthetic features to appeal to consumer preferences for these features and to differentiate their products from competing products. While product design incorporates many kinds of attributes, such as the taste of a cereal, the resolution of a digital camera, or the gas mileage of an automobile, one design element that must be addressed for many products is geometric shape. A product’s shape and geometry can be considered one of its most basic design features, especially from the perspective of a consumer who is viewing the product but has yet to use it. However, while research in psychology and aesthetics has paid considerable attention to perceptions of, and preferences for, different basic shapes, less attention has been given to this question in the realms of consumer behavior and marketing management.
