Strategies for implementing aesthetic factors in product designs

Abstract

In order to obtain product designs that maximize their appeal to customers, a concurrent product design method is proposed in which aesthetic factors are implemented during conventional product design. Aesthetic attributes, which are a subset of subjective attributes, are evaluated concurrently with analytically obtained objective attributes of the product's characteristics. The interaction of these aesthetic and objective attributes, as it relates to the product's utility and manufacturing cost, is clarified. Ultimately, the solution that has the minimum ratio of manufactured cost relative to the customer's expected product price is selected as the optimum design solution. Applied examples pertaining to robot designs are given, to demonstrate these methodologies.