Applying cluster analysis for consumer's affective responses toward product forms

Abstract

The consumer's affective responses (CARs) toward products are always the crucial topic in Kansei Engineering. In this study, the results of analyzing CARs were found the aesthetic difference between the general and designers. Fisrt, Kansei adjectives collected from the related literatures were used to evaluate the CARs. Furthermore, Kawakita Jiro (KJ) method was used to classify marketed folding bikes according to their similarities in forms and generalized six representative samples of folding bikes. Kansei adjectives and the representative samples are applied for the questionnaire survey. Finally, the data from the questionnaire was analyzed by averaging method and cluster analysis.The results show that the classified categories by cluster analysis are different to the representative samples selected by KJ method. According to the CARs toward the six representative kinds of folding bikes can be classified into three categories. In other words, consumers’ Kansei images for these three types of folding bike are significantly different, including “distinctive”, “innovative”, “modern” and “young”. The findings of this study can provide a reference for designers to design the forms of folding bikes by consumers’ viewpoint.