Comprehensive Evaluation of Outdoor Furniture Design Using the SD–AHP–GRA Method

Abstract

Amid the rise of the experience economy, the integration of perceptual experiences into outdoor furniture evaluation was identified as a critical requirement. An integrated SD–AHP–GRA model, combining Semantic Differential (SD), Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and Grey Relational Analysis (GRA), was employed. User emotional needs through semantic analysis were quantified, and the design elements were determined by expert assessments. The results showed that three core design dimensions, namely functionality, aesthetics, and interactive experience, were identified using the AHP method. Three design schemes were comparatively assessed using AHP–GRA, with Scheme B confirmed as optimal (weighted correlation: 0.873). The AHP–GRA composite model, which combines expert weights with grey relational analysis to reduce the subjectivity and uncertainty inherent in AHP weighting, highlighted excellence in high-weight attributes of outdoor furniture design, demonstrating its superiority in balancing multidimensional criteria. Overall, the SD–AHP–GRA method was validated as a means to resolve conflicts between subjective preferences and engineering constraints in outdoor furniture design.