Toward a Technology Inspiration Model: Conceptualizing Inspiration in Technology Experience and Design Evaluation

Abstract

This paper introduces the Technology Inspiration Model (TIM), a conceptual framework for evaluating how technologies evoke imaginative, reflective, and motivational user responses. TIM consists of two interrelated components: the TIM Scale, a measurement instrument capturing three experiential dimensions (Evocation, Transcendence, and Motivation), and the TIM Process Model, which situates these responses within a broader design and evaluation cycle. We conducted a mixed-method construct development study (N = 19) using an AI–mixed reality system designed to support speculative thinking. Data from questionnaires, expert card-sorting (N = 6), and qualitative interviews were triangulated to assess interpretability and dimensional coherence. This process informed a refined 6-item version of the TIM Scale with improved clarity and alignment. While preliminary, the results offer a foundation for measuring source-specific inspirational impact and contribute a framework to support formative evaluation of future-oriented technologies, particularly those targeting experiential and affective engagement.