The Impact of Perceived Design Elements on Young Adults’ Purchase Intentions for Museum Cultural and Creative Products

In recent years, museum cultural and creative products (MCCPs) have become an important medium for connecting cultural heritage with contemporary consumer markets. However, despite their growing popularity, many museums struggle to understand which design features most effectively drive young consumers’ purchasing behavior. Addressing this gap, this study investigates how perceived design elements—functional design, color design, and shape design—affect young consumers’ purchase behavior toward MCCPs. Drawing on the Decomposed Theory of Planned Behavior (DTPB) and the Perceived Value (PERVAL) framework, a structured questionnaire was distributed to young adults in Anhui Province, China. Using stratified random sampling, 400 responses were collected, with 365 valid responses retained for analysis. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that all three design elements significantly influence purchase intention, with perceived shape design exerting the strongest effect. Functional and color design also directly impact purchase decisions, while shape design affects purchase decisions indirectly through purchase intention. The findings underscore the mediating role of behavioral intention and highlight the dual influence of symbolic and practical design features. The study contributes to consumer behavior theory by extending the DTPB framework to the cultural consumption context and offers actionable insights for museums and designers aiming to enhance the market appeal of MCCPs.