Perceptual imagery of soft sofa fabrics based on visual-tactile evaluation

In the contemporary era of quality and personalization, this article explores how soft sofa fabrics enhance users’ emotional experience and convey perceptual images. Users’ visual-tactile perception data on 10 common soft sofa fabrics were gathered by questionnaire surveys, utilizing the Kansei engineering approach, and the visual-tactile evaluation theory. With SPSS software, the data were processed and examined in-depth using a variety of techniques, including cluster analysis and factor analysis. The experiment screened fabric samples and emotional vocabularies via the KJ method and expert evaluation, and questionnaires were designed and implemented based on the semantic differential method and Likert scale. Fabrics were categorized into four groups based on cluster analysis, which are suitable for users pursuing different home environments. The two primary factors that comprise the fundamental aspects of the perceptual image of soft sofa fabrics were found to be the texture, quality experience factor, and the typical emotional reaction factor, which were extracted by factor analysis. Both theory and practice were considered, enriching the theoretical framework of emotional imagery and user emotion research while offering valuable practical guidance for the design, production, and marketing of soft sofas.