Crazy-Funny-Cool Theory: Divergent Reactions to Unusual Product Designs

Consumer research suggests that cool products demonstrate autonomy by diverging from the norm. However, many products that diverge from the norm seem funny or simply bad rather than cool. What distinguishes products that look cool from those that look funny? We integrate prior research to propose a theory of how consumers respond to unusual product designs. Four experiments provide converging evidence that the design of cool products diverges...