Redesign of the Ming-Style ‘Warped Table’ Based on Kansei Needs of Contemporary Users Using an SD–FA–QFD Method

Abstract

For contemporary users’ emotional demands and the promotion of Ming-style furniture, which has cultural value, this paper studies the Ming-style ‘Warped Table’. A systematic re-design process is provided, consisting of Kinaesthetic Engineering (KE), Semantic Differential (SD), Factor analysis, Likert-weighted scoring, and Quality Function Deployment (QFD). Affective assessment was carried out by using SD questionnaires and text mining. Perceptual factor analysis yielded four major dimensions of perception, including ‘Material Warmth’ (29.9%), ‘Functional Serenity’ (25.4%), ‘Resilient Grace’ (22.9%), and ‘Fluid Elegance’ (21.9%). Relative importance was computed by the Likert Weighting method. Afterwards, a ‘sensory demand-design element’ mapping model was created with QFD, in which 7.9% were table-top and 7.2% legs as significant design elements. Modular redesign has been carried out, maintaining the traditional stylistic language “simple, elegant, and graceful” together with the mortise-and-tenon craft, but with new manufacturing logic and user sensory desires. The methodology realizes quantitative analysis and parametric translation of traditional furniture imagery, greatly improving the product’s cultural and emotional display, and gives a series of system references for related design work.