Looking at computer-visualized interior wood: A qualitative assessment using focus groups

The objective of this study was to explore and gather human reactions and perceptions on computer visualizations of interior wood. The subjective qualities of such products are important because they infl uence the most critical of consumer decisions: to buy or not. To learn more about a phenomenon than quantitative data can provide, qualitative methods are needed. Here, grounded theory was used with focus groups to form a map of 14 people’s experiences of wood. Six computer-generated pictures with visible wood were varied into 18 pictures, such that two-by-two comparison resulted in 3500 words. These were combined into a map that was generated earlier, which had found 2000 words. The main dimensions found were light, color, unity, and authenticity. Light is more than brightness; shadows and lighting seemed more important for the wood feeling, and color and contrast gave life and warmth to the material on the screen. Respondents wanted wood that was more “woody” and “warmer” than wood actually is, that is, a hyper-realistic picture. Perhaps smart modification rather than photorealism should be the goal. Distribution of the earlier found activity and harmony was important for most respondents. In addition, many subjects discussed the composition and/or the context or purpose of the pictures. The impact of wood is not just related to the wood itself; it is also intertwined with its surroundings.

[1]  Ian D. Bishop,et al.  Assessing the Visual Impact of Development Proposals: The Validity of Computer Simulations , 1989, Landscape Journal.

[2]  Lars Stehn,et al.  Utilizing 3D-computer visualization for communicating aesthetics of long-span timber structures , 2004 .

[3]  Sven Hesselgren.  On architecture : an architectural theory based on psychological research , 1987 .

[4]  Gunther Wyszecki,et al.  Color Science: Concepts and Methods, Quantitative Data and Formulae, 2nd Edition , 2000 .

[5]  J. E. Reeb,et al.  Customer preference for Pacific Northwest hardwoods , 1998 .

[6]  C. D. West,et al.  Knots as an incongruent product feature: a demonstration of the potential for character-marked hardwood furniture , 2001 .

[7]  유창조.  Naturalistic Inquiry , 2022, The SAGE Encyclopedia of Research Design.

[8]  J. M. Kittross.  The measurement of meaning , 1959 .

[9]  Devi Jankowicz,et al.  The Easy Guide to Repertory Grids , 2003 .

[10]  Olof Broman.  Two methods for measuring people's preferences for Scots pine wood surfaces : a comparative multivariate approach , 1996 .

[11]  Ian Alexander,et al.  An introduction to qualitative research , 2000, Eur. J. Inf. Syst..

[12]  Harry S. Broudy,et al.  The Role of Imagery in Learning. The Getty Center for Education in the Arts Occasional Paper 1. , 1987 .

[13]  Stefan Weinfurter,et al.  Softwood Lumber Quality Requirements: Examining the Supplier/Buyer Perception Gap , 2007 .

[14]  Keith P. Sentis,et al.  Advertising and consumer psychology , 1986 .

[15]  T. Pakarinen.  Success factors of wood as a furniture material , 1999 .

[16]  Enar Nordvik,et al.  Visualizing wood interiors: A qualitative assessment of what people react to and how they describe it , 2005 .

[17]  Helena Johnsson,et al.  3D Computer Visualization in Timber Construction—Some Important Parameters , 2006 .

[18]  Julienne Ford.  Paradigms and Fairy Tales: An Introduction to the Science of Meanings , 1975 .

[19]  Matthew B. Miles,et al.  Qualitative Data Analysis: An Expanded Sourcebook , 1994 .

[20]  Tom L. Beauchamp,et al.  Ethical Issues in Social Science Research , 1982 .

[21]  Janet Mancini Billson,et al.  Focus Groups: A Practical Guide for Applied Research , 1989 .

[22]  Henrik Janols,et al.  Communicating long-span timber structures with 3D computer visualization , 2005 .

[23]  Olof Broman.  Attitudes toward Scots Pine wood surfaces : a multivariate approach , 1995 .

[24]  Yoshifumi Miyazaki,et al.  Influence of wood wall panels on physiological and psychological responses , 2005, Journal of Wood Science.

[25]  M. Wertheimer.  Laws of organization in perceptual forms. , 1938 .

[26]  N. Olof Broman,et al.  Visual impressions of features in scots pine wood surfaces: a qualitative study , 1995 .

[27]  M. Wertheimer,et al.  A source book of Gestalt psychology. , 1939 .

[28]  Alan L Gilchrist.  Lightness and brightness , 2007, Current Biology.

[29]  D. Amnon Silverstein,et al.  Efficient method for paired comparison , 2001, J. Electronic Imaging.

[30]  Masashi Nakamura,et al.  Quantification of visual inducement of knots by eye-tracking , 2007, Journal of Wood Science.

[31]  M. Patton,et al.  Qualitative evaluation methods , 1981 .

[32]  Geoffrey H. Donovan,et al.  Consumer preferences and willingness to pay for character-marked cabinets from Alaska birch , 2003 .

[33]  Robert J. Bush,et al.  Consumer perceptions of softwood lumber quality , 1996 .

[34]  Richard A. Krueger,et al.  Focus groups : a practical guide for applied research / by Richard A. Krueger , 1989 .

[35]  H. Broudy.  The role of imagery in learning , 1987 .

[36]  T. Daniel,et al.  REPRESENTATIONAL VALIDITY OF LANDSCAPE VISUALIZATIONS: THE EFFECTS OF GRAPHICAL REALISM ON PERCEIVED SCENIC BEAUTY OF FOREST VISTAS , 2001 .

[37]  D. Morgan.  Focus groups for qualitative research. , 1988, Hospital guest relations report.

[38]  Y. Miyazaki,et al.  Physiological effects in humans induced by the visual stimulation of room interiors with different wood quantities , 2007, Journal of Wood Science.

[39]  A. Strauss,et al.  The discovery of grounded theory: strategies for qualitative research aldine de gruyter , 1968 .