kansei

Kansei is a Japanese term (感性) commonly translated as sensibility, perception, or aesthetic feeling. In everyday use, it denotes the subjective experience of beauty, mood, or impression formed through perception and emotion. In design and engineering, Kansei refers to the aim of capturing and shaping human emotional responses to products, interfaces, and environments.

Kansei engineering, or Kansei kōgaku, is a systematic approach that links people's feelings to product attributes. It emerged in Japan during the late 20th century as part of human-centered design and quality management. The goal is to design products whose form, color, texture, and usability evoke desired emotional responses.

Methods involve collecting Kansei words—emotion-laden descriptors—from users, then identifying related product attributes and technical specifications. Statistical techniques such as factor analysis, regression, and structural equation modeling are used to build models that predict how changes in design variables influence emotional impressions. The approach has been applied in consumer electronics, automobiles, furniture, and packaging.

Critiques note that Kansei is culturally influenced and inherently subjective, making universal standards difficult. Success depends on robust data collection, careful wording of Kansei terms, and cross-cultural validation. When used responsibly, Kansei engineering can help create products that better align with user desires and brand messaging.