Communicating consumer needs in the design process of branded products

User preferences in design process of branded products are addressed through several layers of mediation occurring at the interfaces between consumers, product designers, and engineering designers, whereby product designers act as proxies for consumers. Rather than interacting directly each group makes assumptions about the consumer needs and preferences, which are not explicitly communicated. This paper explains the mediation layers between design team and consumers through a literature based framework of branded product emotions. The mediation in the design team is explained through a case study of communication across disciplinary boundaries.