• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.87-113
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• 2001

This study introduces the concept of image/impression of a product design, human interface elements, and the relationships between them. It is assumed that the human interface can be decomposed into detailed design elements, called human interface elements. This study attempts to build functional relationships between the image/impression of a product and human interface elements. Two different human factors experiments were conducted to demonstrate the effectiveness of the approach suggested in this study. A total of 35 audio/visual consumer electronics products (e.g., CD players, VCRs) were shown on a display screen and the subjects were instructed to evaluate them in terms of eight image/impression dimensions. One experiment was conducted using Korean subjects while the other using American subjects. The functional relationships were modeled by using the multiple linear regression technique. Similarity and difference between the Korean and the American subjects were analyzed. The approach suggested in this study is expected to help designers and developers identify important design variables to enhance the subjective satisfaction of a product design.