Mapping Individual Subjective Values to Product Design : An Attitudes-Based Approach for User Centered Design

Abstract

User Centered Design faces new challenges in the design of individual products for users. Aside physiological suitability, the subjective quality of a product becomes more and more relevant for its perceived user value. Despite deep knowledge on subjective perception in other research disciplines exists, this knowledge is hard to access for product developers so far. The existing barriers between external resources and the development of user centered products hence need further break down. Hence, the paramount goal of this research is a usable and transparent adoption of interdisciplinary knowledge of subjective value perception into the engineering context. In this row, an instrument developed that allows the transfer of external knowledge into the product development process in order to give guidance for product design optimisations. It thus sensitises for the consideration of indvidiual subjective quality preferences and creates greater transparency about its origin, transmission and effects. ACADE (Approach for Computer Aided Design of Emotional impressions) therefore targets the theory of product-personality. It states that users tend to prefer those products that reflect their own attitudes and value orientations at its best. In order to fulfil these expectations with an appropriate product design, both user attitudes as well as a product’s overall impression need to be instrumentarised. Therefore, models and instruments from the current state of the art are adopted into an easy to follow, understandable process chain. Lastly, functional relationships between product appearance and design parameters allow a specific product variation management. Therein, ACADE’s transparent data architecture and mathematical solvers support the optimisation of subjective value criteria. Simple processes and the integration of result verification allow a quick, understandable and flexible application. Several different study examples from bionics, medical engineering or mobility demonstrate the versatility and usability of ACADE. It does not only allow the deliberate optimisation of product design for individual subjective preferences, but also supports an effective and efficient portfolio management and design strategy. The presented work can only make a small contribution to consider subjective quality aspects in the development of technical products. It thus raises many relevant questions and sensitises for its relevance in engineering design. In the future, it is important to go on further in this topic in order to create better products for users.