An integrated intelligent model for user centred product design: An application on mobile phones

ivAN INTEGRATED INTELLIGENT MODEL FOR USER CENTREDPRODUCT DESIGN: AN APPLICATION ON MOBILE PHONES(Ph.D. Thesis)Diyar AKAYGAZİ UNIVERSITYINSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGYNovember 2006ABSTRACTUser centered design is an ergonomic-oriented product developmentstrategy aim of which is to increase the value of product in the eyes ofcustomers considering factors such as product usability, productappearance and, emotion - sensation impact of product. Performanceand sensational (image/impression) expectations are two principaldimensions for user centered product design. Although there arestandardized methods to analyze performance dimensions, there is nowidely accepted technique for identifying emotional expectations yet.Designer commonly have the responsibility to reflect emotionalrequirements of users into product design. However, designersgenerally shape the design with their sensations, emotions and ideaswithout fully considering users? real expectations. This approach,therefore, usually brings about market failure. For this reason, usingtraditional design processes, it is not expected from designer to designproducts satisfying users? emotional requirements. Using techniquesfor transforming users? intangible, qualitative desires and ideas intodesign elements will assist designer to design novel and successfulproducts. This problem constitutes the main research objective of thisthesis work. An integrated model is proposed to solve the problem ofvconverting users? emotional expectations into tangible and quantitativedesign elements which will be perceived by designer. The proposedmodel is named as ?An Integrated Intelligent Model for User CenteredProduct Design?. Semantic Differential Scale, Grey Relational Analysis,Multi Criteria Group Decision Making and Neuro-Fuzzy Classifier areused at the stages of the model. An experimental study was carried outfor mobile phone product to prove the validity of the proposed model.Users? needs are extracted as fuzzy if then else rules. Structure ofinteraction with the users? needs and product design elements can beanalyzed with the aid of fuzzy rules.Science Code : 906.1.039: User centred design, semantic differential scale,Key Wordsgrey relational analysis, multi criteria groupdecision making, neuro fuzzy classifierPage Number : 143: Prof. Dr. Mustafa KURTAdviser