User Preference Toward Appearance of Mobile Input Method Editor Based on Kansei Engineering

This study aimed to research the relationship between input method skin elements, kansei words and users' preferences, optimize the input method skin design and improve users' satisfaction. The input method skin elements are divided into six categories: toolbar, candidate area, shortcut keys, function keys, keyboard background and button background. The twelve most representative element levels were identified. Eight pairs of kansei words were screened to evaluate those element levels. The results show that the toolbar and function keys with unique shapes, the appropriate decorations for the candidate area, the color of the shortcut keys that are consistent with the background, and the use of pictures as the keyboard background conforms to users' preferences, and bringing good user experiences.