Perceived Quality Created by the Light Reflection on a Car's Exterior Design

Abstract

Product design can be broadly divided into styling and perceived quality. In general, the former tends to attract attention, but it is difficult to obtain significant results in proportion to investment. For example, even if a large budget is allocated to a design styling project, there is no guarantee that the styling will improve in proportion to the amount spent. Moreover, perceived quality has a clear return on investment. High quality can be achieved as much as the investment. For this purpose, it is necessary to understand the factors that increase the product value from the consumer's point of view, and then invest appropriately. In industrial design, perceived quality consists of color, material, and finishing (CMF) which stands for color, material, and finishing. Among them, this study analyzed color with a focus on brightness. The following hypothesis was tested: "in car exterior design, light reflection brightness enhances consumer-perceived quality." Five designs were produced with the same styling but different levels of light reflection. Further, via an online survey in Japan, the designs were evaluated using Thurstone's paired comparison. As a result, the aforementioned hypothesis is supported. Although the importance of perceived quality has been recognized, there still exists a lack of discussion about how it can be embodied and its effects for purchasing behavior. This study provides meaningful suggestions for creating value in industrial design.