Extending the FEA Model to Sustainable Packaging Design: The Role of Functional, Expressive, and Aesthetic Attributes in Socially Situated Consumer Experiences

Abstract

Sustainable packaging design in the beauty industry must balance environmental responsibility with functional performance, expressive meaning and aesthetic appeal, yet design research has rarely examined these attributes through a framework. Drawing on the Function–Expressive–Aesthetic (FEA) model, the Stimulus–Organism–Response (SOR) framework and social contagion theory, this study investigates how social contagion activates consumers’ functional, expressive and aesthetic needs regarding sustainable skincare packaging, and how these needs shape packaging attitudes and purchase intention. A covariance-based structural equation model was tested using survey data from consumers in markets. Results show that social contagion positively influences three FEA needs, with the strongest effect on expressive needs; expressive need fulfilment exerts the impact on packaging attitude, which in turn drives purchase intention. Findings extend the FEA model from apparel to packaging design, position social contagion as a design-diffusion mechanism, and provide evidence-based guidance for creating sustainable packaging that is environmentally responsible and socially shareable.