Applying neural networks to consumer-oriented product design

How to create highly-reputable designs and hot-selling products is an essential issue on product design. This paper presents an experimental study to explore the relationship between the consumers' perceptions and product form elements, using one linear quantitative technique (i.e. the grey model) and one nonlinear quantitative technique (i.e. the neural network model). Thirty representative personal digital assistants (PDAs) and six design form elements of PDAs are identified as samples in an experimental study to illustrate how these techniques work. The performance evaluation result shows that the NN model is better to be used to construct a form design database for helping product designers comprehend consumers' perceptions, thus supporting form design decisions in a new PDA product development process.