However, Dahan and Srinivasan’s study (2000) shows
that virtual prototype testing on the Internet provides
almost identical results to using physical prototype testing
more quickly and at less cost. In addition, animated
product depictions, showing how the new product works,
allow to assess ease of product use (Thomke and von
Hippel, 2002) as well as emotions—often neglected despite
their substantial influence on the purchasing decision—
elicited by product appearance and aesthetic as well as use
(Hirschman and Holbrook, 1982; Oliver, 1992; Desmet
et al., 2000). Customer-ready prototypes provide the
customer with important additional, non-attribute-based
information (Srinivasan et al., 1997).