Kansei Engineering and Quality Function Deployment: Development of Methodology for the Identification of User-Centralized Project Improvements

The various properties existing in products can impart emotions triggered by users, capable of acting as factors of preference in the decision to purchase the product. This paper approaches the potential of Kansei Engineering (KE) as a strategic tool to search the improvement of methodology and user-centered design, analyzing and discussing the possible techniques framed and integrated to the QFD (Quality Function Deployment) potential, searching for a new proposal to identify project improvements. The overall objective of the study was to find methods for designing and developing products focused on the mechanisms of emotional control. The bibliographic research identified the typical stages of implementation, the set of techniques that can support the development of products, as well as the results obtained through the practical applications of KE and QFD. The results of the integration of methodologies and experimental validation did not allow to conclude in this first phase of study. The main conclusions were observed and allow several concepts and integrated approaches for a new methodology to respond to the needs of the user, using concepts and techniques presented here to characterize as an interesting and consistent mechanism to identify quality improvements in the development and design of new products.