Integrating Kansei engineering, analytic hierarchy process, and quality function development in elderly-oriented seating design

To deeply understand the psychological and emotional needs of the elderly population, this study proposes a seat design method combining Kansei engineering (KE), analytic hierarchy process (AHP), and quality function development (QFD). The method aims to fulfill the functional needs of the seat and focuses on capturing the emotional imagery of the elderly group, thus enhancing the emotional experience of the users. Factor analysis (FA) was used to conceptualize the user’s perceptual vocabulary data, AHP to assess the relative importance of these perceptual words, and morphological analysis to deconstruct the characteristics of the seat components. Finally, the mapping relationship between user perceptual data and design features was established through QFD. The FA and AHP results showed that the emotional needs of the elderly for seating are primarily focused on the sense of lightness (32.5%), simplicity (45.7%), and sophistication (21.8%); and QFD analysis results show that among seating components, the No. 6 seat back, No. 1 seat cushion, No. 2 door post, and No. 2 seat leg have the highest importance and can best meet the emotional needs of elderly users. This design method effectively improves the product’s suitability for the elderly and provides a valuable reference for related product design.