Abstract: Influenced by multiple feature constraints and function-oriented design philosophy, the complex exterior design of electrical products lays more emphasis on the rationality of engineering technology and integrity of functional expression, but is likely to overlook users’ demand of product cognitive experience. In view of this problem, analyses were made on the design intention generation mode and user intention cognition mode, which led to the summary of three problems in intention cognition: intention exceeding and omission caused by users’ innovation and distortion in cognition, semantic gap incurred by the cognitive difference between designers and users, and comprehension obstacle resulting from users’ simplified cognition. Three strategies for the exterior design of complex electrical products were proposed: putting forward user cognition in design stage by quality function deployment (QFD), building database from continuity and difference perspectives, and group convergence guided by common characteristics of user cognition and engineering constraints. In doing so, on the basis of technical constraints, users can obtain the design intention information and satisfy their emotions, which can enhance the market competitiveness of the exterior design of complex electrical products.

Key words: user experience, electrical products, design intention, intention cognition, exterior design