In this blog post, we will explore how emotional engineering can be used to analyze abstract emotions and apply them to the design of luxury sports cars.
Let’s imagine that A is designing a sports car. A wants a sports car that is vaguely luxurious in appearance, has a masculine engine sound, and comfortable seats. So, how can A design a sports car with a luxurious exterior, a masculine engine sound, and comfortable seats? At first glance, this seems like an easy problem. However, the more A thinks about it, the more difficult it becomes. First, the concepts of “luxury,” “masculinity,” and “comfort” are vague and abstract.
These terms are highly subjective, meaning that different people perceive them differently. For example, while some may associate luxury with a classic design, others may associate it with a cutting-edge design incorporating the latest technology. As A grapples with how to incorporate these subjective perceptions into the product, he arrives at one conclusion: “How can I translate these abstract concepts into concrete design elements?”
Even if we assume that these words have been clearly understood, a bigger problem remains: how to accurately reproduce that feeling. What elements make a luxurious exterior feel luxurious? Is the masculine sound of the engine due to the frequency of the tone or the volume? What characteristics of the seats provide comfort? Is it the surface material or the density of the internal cushioning?
The questions are endless, and A is faced with increasingly complex problems. At this point, there is an engineering approach that can help A, and that is emotional engineering. Emotional engineering is the study of analyzing human senses and emotions and reflecting them in concrete designs. It helps convert consumers’ abstract demands into objective numbers and reflect them in designs. Therefore, by utilizing emotional engineering, A can concretely realize the abstract feelings of “luxurious appearance,” “masculine engine sound,” and “comfortable seats.” The emotional engineering analysis method consists of five main steps. First, select the target to be evaluated. Second, analyze the target and classify its characteristics and attributes.
Third, select adjectives that influence emotions. Fourth, conduct a survey of consumers. Finally, analyze the collected data to derive specific design elements that can realize specific emotions.
This analysis process can solve A’s sports car design problem. For example, suppose A wants to focus on a luxurious appearance. A sensory engineer can select and analyze color and shape from among the various elements that make up the car’s appearance. They design various combinations, such as black with sharp corners and white with rounded corners, and ask consumers, “Which combination feels the most luxurious?” This data plays a crucial role in selecting the most suitable design to achieve luxury. Additionally, for masculine engine sounds, they analyze frequency and wavelength, and for comfortable seats, they evaluate based on seat material and cushion density.
In this way, emotional engineering can convert abstract sensory requirements into concrete designs. However, emotional engineering is not a panacea. There are still limitations to quantifying human emotions. Sensory elements vary greatly from person to person, making it difficult to guarantee complete satisfaction. Nevertheless, emotional engineering plays a very important role in helping to better understand and reflect consumer needs.
In today’s market, functional excellence alone is insufficient to capture consumers’ hearts. To maintain competitiveness, companies must provide products that satisfy consumers’ emotions. This is an issue that goes beyond mere performance and falls into the realm of experience, and emotional engineering is one of the core methods for realizing such experiences. This is why the approach of emotional engineering is important even when designing a sports car that A desires.
