Increasing Importance of Emotion in the Connected Society

Abstract

Emotion will increase its importance in the Connected Society due to the following reasons.

• (1) Traditional engineering has been final-product- and individual product-focused, with emphasis on product value. But in the Connected Society, products must be designed, developed and operated as a team. Rational and optimizing approaches are no more applicable and we have to look for emotional satisfaction, as Simon pointed out.

• (2) Product Quality is improved to the full extent so customers cannot recognize. We need something other than just product quality to explore a new market. Processes will create new values.

• (3) Customers are now looking for mental satisfaction instead of material satisfaction. Thus, their expectations and requirements are quickly personalized. Therefore, we must consider how we can satisfy their human needs. Engineering should move toward much more self-motivated and self-determined and we have to satisfy their need for growth.