Material Experience

The multidimensional way people perceive, interpret, and emotionally respond to the physical materials of objects they interact with. The materials experience framework categorizes these experiences into four levels: sensorial (immediate physical sensations from touching, seeing, or hearing a material), interpretive (meanings and associations derived from prior experience), affective (emotional responses evoked by material interaction), and performative (actions prompted by material engagement). In assistive technology design, material experience is particularly important because the aesthetic qualities of devices influence user adoption, self-concept, and long-term use — technologies perceived as unattractive or that draw unwanted attention may be abandoned regardless of functional effectiveness.