What is Kansei?

Kansei emerged in Japan in the 1970s as a new technology for translating consumer emotions into products. The benefits of Kansei were soon demonstrated – it was used to design the Mazda MX-5. What was the outcome? The MX-5 became the best-selling car in its category and remains a strong contender.
 
So how does Kansei work? It’s not a magic box that provides solutions to every design problem. Instead, it provides a way to measure how a design will be perceived by its end user and why, before capital and human resources are invested, or indeed wasted, in iterative production cycles. The Kansei measurements are linked to the emotive language of the brand and to consumers’ needs. Whole designs or individual components can be created using traditional methods, but by testing a set of designs with controlled differences between them it is possible to show what has impacted on the consumer perception. As a result, the design brief can give specifications for each Kansei measurement rather than using gut feelings for guidance.
 
What makes ‘luxurious’ chocolate? Well Nestlé has clearly understood that this perception is affected by more senses than just taste. Using Kansei, the company designed its packaging using similar methods to those it would do for the flavour of its chocolates: with an eye on measurements.
 
Does design need Kansei? Well, there are those who’d still believe that Kansei is not suitable because creativity is constrained by structured processes, but perhaps they’re missing the point. Ideas may come from anywhere. However, when it comes to collaborating in the design process, communicating ideas to others and tweaking them, Kansei works, where other methods turn design development into more of a beauty contest.
 
We have been using Kansei for many FMCG goods over the years and continue to develop ‘the Kansei way’ through partnerships with commercial brand owners.
 
Stephen Lillford is research consultant at Faraday Packaging Partnership’s Design Perspectives

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