Evaluation and Decision of a Seat Color Design Scheme for a High-Speed Train Based on the Practical Color Coordinate System and Hybrid Kansei Engineering

Color is an important visual element of high-speed train seats, which has a significant impact on passenger travel experience. In order to solve the problem that color design relies on the subjective experience of designers, this study aims to establish an effective evaluation and decision method for seat color design in a high-speed train based on the Practical Color Coordinate System (PCCS) and hybrid Kansei Engineering. Firstly, we created a series of design schemes based on the typical colors in the PCCS. Secondly, a new hybrid Kansei Engineering system was constructed; in this system, forward Kansei Engineering was constructed with Factor Analysis (FA) and Multidimensional Scaling Analysis (MDS) to analyze the cognitive feature of color sample. The Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Independent Weight Coefficient Method (IW) were used to calculate comprehensive weights, and backward Kansei Engineering was constructed with the TOPSIS to optimize and evaluate color design schemes. Finally, the design and evaluation methods were illustrated with a case. The results showed that (1) the three main influencing factors of seat color design for high-speed trains included function, aesthetics and experience, and comfort and harmony; two other potential factors included calmness and relaxation. (2) In the PCCS, warm colors have a better esthetic, while cool colors are calmer. Tones with medium brightness and saturation such as It- and Sf-tones are the optimal choice, while the V-tone is not suitable for seat color design. The effectiveness of this method is verified by a case study, which provides a reference for seat color design evaluation and optimization of high-speed trains.