Simon Schütte
Linköping University, IEI/Q, Linköping, Sweden
Rilda Schütte
Linköping University, IEI/Q, Linköping, Sweden
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Published in: 10th QMOD Conference. Quality Management and Organiqatinal Development. Our Dreams of Excellence; 18-20 June; 2007 in Helsingborg; Sweden
Linköping Electronic Conference Proceedings 26:21, p.
Published: 2008-02-15
ISBN:
ISSN: 1650-3686 (print), 1650-3740 (online)
Modern product development means in the first place to be able to compete on mature international markets with high competition pressure. Time and economic resources are crucial in the design of studies. For Kansei Engineering studies this is especially true when it comes to the time resource; since product trends can be rather short-lived. Consequently; studies should be designed as quickly as possible and as economically as possible; but at the same time deliver correct results. Schütte (2005) proposed a model visualizing the required steps for most Kansei Engineering study.
A domain is defined describing the product type in question; the target group and the context situation of the product. This domain is then described using verbal expressions erecting the Semantic Space (Osgood; Suci;& Tannenbaum; 1957). In parallel the Space of Properties is set; defining relevant product traits. Kansei Engineering then uses various tools in order to establish links between the two spaces. These tool use userdata often collected by questionnaires or observational studies. After validation a prediction model is build quantifying the relationship between affective meaning and product trait. The relationship can be either mathematical or descriptional. In practice these steps are undertaken using manual methods; but recently also data collection on the internet has been proven successful.
Engineering methods (including Kansei Engineering) used in product development are often reductionistic; i.e. they simplify reality into less complicated models in order to increase understanding and handle complex environments. Usually this works out; but there is a risk of loosing important information when reducing reality to a small scale model.
In order to avoid this in Kansei Engineering good validated Kansei procedures are required. The participants must be enabled to get an as complete affective impression of the product in question (Kansei) as possible; but not to provide more affective information than necessary. For example for evaluating the sound of closing car door a sound file might be sufficient. Presenting more information such as a picture or video of the car will make the study more complex for the participants at the same time increasing the risk for biasing the results. Not much research has been done in this area yet; or at least only few research results are published.
Affective flow model; indirect design; honest products; proximity of interaction; proximity of presentation; optimization of Kansei Engineering study design
