Design Creation Based on KANSEI in Toshiba

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J.A. Jacko (Ed.): Human-Computer Interaction, Part I, HCII 2009, LNCS 5610, pp. 660–666, 2009.

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2009

Design Creation Based on KANSEI in Toshiba

Yosoko Nishizawa and Kanya Hiroi

Toshiba corporation, Design Center,

1-1-1 shibaura, minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

{yosoko takano,kanya kiroi}@toshiba.co.jp

Abstract. In endeavoring to increase the quality of design, Toshiba has outlined

a concept of “perceived quality,” and evaluates designs on the basis of achiev-ing a higher level of perceived quality. We defined six indices from the result of

the image research into the design by the user. These six indicators of perceived

quality were used in the creation and evaluation of designs, and a number of

products were put on the market and evaluated.

Keywords: KANSEI, design, product, quality of design, Evaluation of design.

1 Introduction

Toshiba’s Design Division was established in 1953, and now boasts a 55-year history.

Based on a concept of “Eyes that see into the future, hands that know the joy of crea-

tion, and hearts that care for humanity and the environment,” and with “Smart &

Unique” as its development slogan, the Design Division currently supports product

development for Toshiba as a whole.

During the past half-century, the genres of products in development have increased

dramatically, and the scope of design activities has also greatly expanded. In addition,

with the growth of new markets and the globalization of production bases, it has be-

come essential to develop products of powerful originality that present new value.

Company design departments (the in-house design process) must work to respond to

these changes.

In a market that is saturated with products and services and with minimal differ-

ences between them, new value is required in order to enable differentiation of prod-

ucts on a level beyond function, color, or form. The values required by users are

changing more and more based on experience of using products and the exchange of

impressions and feelings in interpersonal communication. In particular, the more that

functions are improved, the more that users rely on an appeal that sways their emo-

tions as a factor in deciding on the purchase of a product. This means is that it is es-

sential to incorporate new value that transcends function.



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As the source of added value, having shifted from quantity to quality, shifts from

quality to more nebulous factors, we are driven by the necessity to create new value

for customers. As one initiative in this direction, Toshiba is engaging in product de-

velopment with “perceived quality” positioned as an added value to its products. As

of the present, we have attempted to define the nature of perceived value, and we haveevolved the terms “perceived quality” and “appealing quality.” Unfortunately, the

question of how to incorporate these concepts in product development is an ongoing

process of trial and error on the ground. In this presentation, we will offer examples to

illustrate Toshiba’s concept of “perceived quality,” and will also discuss the methods

by which the concept was derived.

2 The Concept of Perceived Quality

2.1 Derivation of Perceived Quality

“Perceived quality” is quality that can be expressed in terms of an individual’s feel-

ings and the images to which they respond. It is a quality that can be expressed in

terms of the subjective requirements of the individual. For an automobile, examples

of these subjective requirements would be “Does it feel good to drive?,” “Is it styl-

ish?,” and the like. Contrasting with this, there are other aspects of quality which

can be expressed as objective, physical characteristics[1]. For a car again, examples

of these would be high horsepower, good fuel efficiency, and the like. We can saythat “perceived quality” resides in design features that appeal to the emotions, and

is something that the customer judges subjectively. What, then, is a design that

appeals to the emotions, and what is a product in which this quality resides to a high

degree?

First, we studied what types of products appealed to the emotions and how cus-

tomers evaluated these products. The results of these studies are shown in Figure 1.

The numbers in the figure represent products. The evaluated product is a product that

shines to the design prize or it is a commodity that designed evaluation is high for

the user. These results, in addition to a series of interviews, showed that a designwith a high level of perceived quality is one that is beautiful, easy to use, and that

offers feelings of security and pleasure. Further, the systemic structural relationships

shown in Figure 2 also exist. This shows that design expression can be used to in-

crease quality, enabling the creation of a product that creates a strong impression on

customers.

We defined two types of perceived quality: Basic perceived quality and a per-

ceived quality that goes beyond the basic to affect the emotions (appealing quality)

(Figure 2). As a prerequisite for the creation of a design that affects the emotions

(i.e., that possesses appealing quality), we established that first the design must pro-duce feelings of pleasure (i.e., must possess basic perceived quality). Then, we

searched for the factor that became an index from the result of the above-mentioned

user survey.



662 Y. Nishizawa and K. Hiroi

Fig. 1. T This is a positioning map. We mapped the results of a correspondence analysis of data

from a Web-based questionnaire on design images.

Fig. 2. This figure shows the elements making up perceived quality as defined by Toshiba. A

design expression that offers simplicity and ease of use produces feelings of pleasure in users.

This can be understood as basic perceived quality, but by itself this is not enough. We must also

consider appealing quality, which transcends feelings of pleasure to affect the emotions.

The results of the user survey showed that this basic perceived quality was made

up of six elements. Indicators we defined for these six elements are Àesthetic qual-

ity`, `Quality with feeling of warmth`, `Quality in use`, Ùniversal quality`, `Quality

that transmits the “message” of the product`, and Òriginal quality` (Figure 2).






Fig. 4. This is an example of the evaluation of award-winning designs using the six indicators

of perceived quality that we defined. These are the results of a questionnaire given to average

users. Both A and B was evaluated highly for only some indicators.

3 Creating Products of High Perceived Quality at Toshiba

Based on the results discussed above, we set the six indicators of perceived quality as

shared guidelines for designers in creating perceived quality. And we attempted to

create products at Toshiba displaying a high level of perceived quality.

This enabled us to develop a variety of products of high perceived quality. Exam-

ples include a range of IH cookers, a cellular phone (KOTO), and high-quality home

electronic products (washing machines, ovens, and vacuum cleaners).

The IH cookers and the KOTO cellular phone (Figure 5) incorporate Japanese-styledesign, and both received extremely high evaluations for some indicators of perceived

quality.

The form of the Japanese musical instrument, the koto, was used as a design ele-

ment in the KOTO cellular phones (see Figure 5B), and the projected design image

saw them as being finished in vermillion. This products was made for Àesthetic

quality`, `Quality that transmits the “message” of the product` and Òriginal quality`.

Fig. 5. A is an IH cooker, and B is a “Koto” model cellular phone. Both products were evalu-

ated highly for design.

A B



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On the other hand, the IH cookers (see Figure 5A) was evaluated extremely highlyfor `Quality with feeling of warmth` and Òriginal quality`. This IH cookers featurean unusual combination of the forms of conventional IH cookers and metal pots, andpresent them as an integrated whole. Design efforts have also enabled the cookers to

be presented as tableware. The original designs of the cookers have incorporatedmaterials traditionally used in different parts of Japan – stainless steel in Tsubamecity, Nambu ironware in Mizusawa city, earthenware in Yokkaichi, etc. – and theyhave been marketed as products in which the feelings of users can find a resonance. In

addition to gold of the Japanese G Mark, this design has received Germany’s IFAward and Red Dot Award, indicating how highly-regarded it is in Europe.

In order to demonstrate the appeal of Toshiba design, we developed advertisementsthat focused on their perceived quality (Figure 6).

Fig. 6. These are examples of advertising Toshiba that is the front side appeal for the sensibility

quality

In addition, Toshiba is globally selling a lot of products and systems now. There-

fore, design must be conducted on a global level. Issues for the future will include

how to blend design elements having a global appeal with those whose appeal is

unique to Japan, how to judge the amount of the ingredients, and how to incorporate

essences in the design. To respond to these issues, we are at present engaging in fur-

ther study of perceived quality and revising our six indicators, in order to enable them

to function as a yardstick of perceived quality that will be globally valid.

4 Conclusion

In the field of products for B to C, which now represents a mature market, it will be

increasingly important in future to use design to create products with originality and




high perceived quality. Toshiba has introduced a “yardstick” of perceived quality as a

guide to answering the question of how this originality is to be created.

In 2006, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry also launched a program for

the development of products that were both original and incorporated a new Japanese

style, as an initiative for the creation of perceived value [2]. And this year is posi-tioned as a year for the creation of perceived value, and Japanese products falling

within this category will be presented in exhibitions in Paris and elsewhere.

On such movement, training its focus on the perceptions involved in perceived

quality, Toshiba makes efforts to the development of the commodity with a sensibility

that runs globally and an original sensibility of Japan.

References

1. The Japanesque Modern Committee: Towards a Japanesque Modern Style – Representing

Japanese Tradition to the World,

http://www.rieti.go.jp/jp/events/bbl/06041801.html

2. Policy Office for Design and Human Life System Manufacturing Industries Bureau METI

3. Kansei Initiative – Proposal of a fourth value axis, IIST WORLD FORUM (June 16, 2008),

http://www.iist.or.jp/wf/magazine/0618/0618_E.html

4. Opinions presented at the symposium Kansei initiatives (Initiatives for the Creation of Per-

ceived Value), held by the Japan Industrial Designers Association (JIDA) (June 18, 2007)

5. Hiroi, K.: About the sensibility value creation of the design: Research leader, vol. 10, pp.

43–51. Technical Information Institute Co., Ltd., Japan (2007)

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Design Creation Based on KANSEI in Toshiba