Product style assessment in various interiors using virtual reality

Abstract

The conventional ways of product design assessment face challenges in new visualization methods focusing on the earlier stages of product design. We investigated designers' perceptions during product style assessment, while interior styles were varying including lighting conditions. In particular, we explored the potential of VR that provides designers an immersive experience in viewing and judging product styles by placing the product into various interiors. In a preliminary study, we conveyed a formative study to define the style features of the living room interiors. Then, we carried out a user study with two kinds of air purifiers in four interior contexts using VR and derived five findings. Finally, we proposed a framework of a three-layered structure that distinguishes the experiential values of VR for product style assessment from the designer's perspective: perceptual, participatory, and imagination levels. Based on the empirical findings, designers expect to adequately facilitate VR as a tool for an immersive experience in product style assessment.