Investigating the Role of Personality in Appearance Preferences for Huggable Communication Interfaces: A User-Centered Study

As alternative remote communication interfaces become increasingly common, ensuring that they seamlessly integrate into daily life has become a pressing design challenge. In this context, what should a huggable communication device look like—should it have arms or a face, or resemble a conventional pillow? This study investigates users’ preferences and personalities regarding the appearance of such interfaces for remote emotional interaction. As a case study, we present HugBits, a round, cushion-like device that transmits hugs through visual and tactile feedback. Drawing on the prior literature and a participatory design workshop, we developed seven shape variations and evaluated them through an online survey with 79 Polish participants. The results reveal a consistent preference for less anthropomorphic designs, with users valuing comfort, simplicity, and intuitive affordances such as areas to rest the head or wrap the arms around. Although personality traits did not significantly predict preferences, the findings highlight broader design criteria: huggable communication interfaces, intended to remain visible and available in shared spaces, must balance emotional expressiveness with social acceptability. These insights provide guidelines for designing emotionally engaging, user-centered mediated touch technologies.