Premo and Kansei: A Comparative Analysis

Kansei Engineering is a technology that enables incorporation of human emotion in design requirements. It has in its perspective that Kansei is unique for different domain and unique for different target user group, and use mainly a verbal measurement instruments in its methodology. The technology is seen to have little shortcoming when there is a need to build universal design for universal target user. It will involve complexity when handling semantics since people do not speak the same language across the planet. Hence, a non-verbal emotion measurement tool is assumed to enhance the capability of K.E. in managing universal Kansei. This study aims to investigate the possibility of integrating PrEmo, a non-verbal self-reporting tool which were developed based on studies across culture and demographical setting into Kansei Engineering. The objectives are to analyze the similarities and differences of Kansei structure resulted by two different measurement tools, non-verbal (PrEmo) and verbal (Kansei checklist) self-reporting instrument, to provide hypothetical evidence of the feasibility of PrEmo as a tool to measure Kansei. 10 websites with significant visual design differences were used as stimuli in the evaluation procedure involving 30 respondents, who provided their Kansei responses using both instruments. The result has shown that the Kansei structure by both instruments are mostly similar, thus provide hypothetical evidence that PrEmo could be used as non-verbal self-reporting instrument to measure Kansei. The findings provide insights into future research for integration of universal Kansei.