Using multi-criteria decision making approach in the process of interior design as a material selection tool

In interior design, it is often difficult to choose a material that meets the requirements of the design. Because there are many materials with different qualities, and usually one material cannot meet all the qualities that an interior architect needs in his design. In this case, it is necessary to determine, which material meets the expectations the most. The process of evaluating a large number of materials according to a limited number of criteria is defined as a multi-criteria decision problem. Different methods have been proposed for multi-criteria decision making, but the Topsis method stands out due to the simplicity of its calculations. In this study, it has been shown that Topsis method can be used as a material selection tool in the interior design process, and an MS Excel-based program has been developed for the user to easily manage this process. Three different scenarios are derived as examples for the material selection process. Floor covering material selections were made for the scenarios derived using the developed program, and the results were examined. The developed program is flexible. If new materials and criteria options are added, it is possible to use the program for material selection of other interior surfaces, such as wall or ceiling covering material selection. In addition, if there is no problem in terms of cost, the program lists the materials that meet the expectations the most, and if the cost is an important criterion, it lists the materials that meet the expectations most in return for the unit money paid with cost-benefit analysis.