Evaluation of industrial design importance according to consumers' perceptions

This thesis compares the importance of industrial design in luxury consumption from consumer and company perspectives and searches for an established connection. Consumption has been investigated on terms of conspicuous consumption, cultural consumption, symbolic consumption and life style formation to reach luxury consumption. Industrial design, its role in product development, its aesthetic understanding, its effect on company performance and its evolution into luxury products with its interaction with consumers are examined. Literature research was conducted in order to understand the importance of industrial design and consumerism. A survey was held in İzmir, to understand the perception of consumers in Izmir, in Turkey. The relationship between the consumer luxury expectations obtained as a result of the survey and the tasks of industrial design in product development were compared.