Kansei engineering: the influence of the scale in the application of the semantic differential

In the current market context products are technically akin. Therefore, there is a need to look for sources of differentiation that will allow companies launch products that will satisfy not just functional and economic needs, but also needs that cater for more emotional demands that will help establish affection bonds between the user and the product from the very moment the item is purchased. As a result, there has been a shift from product design based on technological-criteria to a design of experiences rooted in sensitive and emotional criteria. People-oriented design has brought about the development of different methodologies such as the Quality Function Display (QFD), the Kano model or Kansei Engineering (KE). In order to apply KE as a methodology for emotional design, the perceptions of consumers as regards a certain product must be measured. The most widely spread tool to accomplish this goal is the Semantic Differential (SD) method. The article attempts to illustrate the influence of different scales in the gathering of data for the measurement of the perception of consumers as regards a certain product by applying SD methodology. In order to attain this objective a research about the perception of elevator cabin controls has been conducted.