visual sorting

This document describes the development of a visual research package to help designers study users' emotional and social responses to designed objects. The package is based on free sorting and multidimensional scaling methods. It allows researchers to group and manipulate visual representations of products to gain insights. The package combines grouping with other methods like semantic differentials and multiple choice. Its aim is to present information visually and interactively to support exploratory design research. Examples of using the package for furniture, cutlery and bathroom product research are provided. Results are displayed visually through plots, networks and other interactive formats to aid designers.