A Cross-Cultural Study of Vehicle Front Mask Design Using Kansei Engineering Approach

This paper reports a kansei engineering study of vehicle front mask design conducted in Japan, UK, and US. The objective is to compare three different countries in terms of kansei meaning and kansei construction as well. The subjects in three countries evaluated 24 passenger-car front masks on the 5-point SD scale. The 24 front mask pictures were presented on computer screen. The experimental results of three groups were analyzed through Factor Analysis and Hayashi's Quantification Theory Type I and compared the similarity and difference in kansei evaluation among subjects from three countries. Three factors are extracted from the set of SD scales in describing vehicle front masks: Factor 1 “Value” with words such as “deluxe“, Factor 2 “Performance” with words such as “sporty”, and Factor 3 “Tradition” with words such as “classic” or “simple“. For feelings associated with the three factors, the overall shape of the whole mask, front grill shape and type, and headlight patterns have the broadest influence. No significant cross-cultural difference was identified in the perception of vehicle front masks.