Correlating Shape Parameters to Customer Preference

Among the variables in product design, shape parameters have a relatively strong influence on the success of the product in the market. This is especially true for parameters controlling the visual appearance of consumer goods. Decisions about the type and values of the parameters are therefore critical. However, the information on which these decisions could be based is typically lacking, or can only be acquired with delay. We have experimented a technique to extract information about customer preference as a function of shape parameters. This information is an input to those responsible for the product's shape. The method is based on ratings provided by individuals. A rating might represent the judgement of aesthetic quality by the potential customer. The ratings from a group of interviewees provided histograms for the shape variable, which indeed show a preference interval. We report about the method, the particular shape parameter we varied, the formalism to define shape deformation, the statistical results we obtained and about further improvements and applications.