Evocative Design Evaluation (EDE): A Conceptual Framework for Emotion-Driven Product Development in Rehabilitation Contexts

The development of rehabilitation products has traditionally prioritized functional performance, ergonomics, and clinical effectiveness, while the emotional experiences of users throughout the rehabilitation journey remain comparatively underexplored. This study proposes the development of Conceptual Evocative Design Evaluation (EDE) framework as an emotion-driven design evaluation approach that integrates users' affective responses into rehabilitation product development. Grounded in human-centered design and design evaluation principles, the framework aims to support designers in identifying, interpreting, and translating emotional experiences into meaningful design decisions that enhance user engagement, acceptance, and long-term rehabilitation outcomes. A qualitative research design was adopted using a sequential exploratory approach. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with stakeholders involved in rehabilitation product design and development, complemented by Verbal Protocol Analysis (VPA) to capture participants' cognitive and emotional reasoning during design evaluation activities. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify recurring patterns and relationships that informed the development of the proposed framework. Methodological triangulation and iterative interpretation were employed to strengthen the credibility and trustworthiness of the findings. The study identified nine major themes that describe the emotional dimensions influencing rehabilitation product evaluation and demonstrate how users' affective experiences can be systematically translated into actionable design considerations. These findings informed the development of the Conceptual Evocative Design Evaluation framework, which establishes a structured relationship between emotional responses, design interpretation, and design intervention throughout the product development process.

Evocative Design Evaluation, Rehabilitation Product Design, Emotion-Driven Design, Human-Centered Design, Conceptual Framework Development

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