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This study focuses on how products are viewed by their users. In order to capture users’ viewpoints, we focused on how the virtual 3D model of a product was examined (rotated/translated/moved by the user). We attempt to understand these viewing mechanisms by focusing on the dynamics of shifting viewpoints and verbal features during the generation of product impressions. The notion of dynamics of shifting viewpoints in this study refers to changes between ‘still viewpoints’ and ‘moving viewpoints’. If, in a given period when product impressions are generated, a viewpoint does not change, it is defined as a still viewpoint, whereas a moving viewpoint refers to shifts in the ways in which the products are viewed during a given period. The notion of verbal features involves the quantitative characteristics of verbalisations. The findings from an experimental observation show that the dynamics of shifting viewpoints, verbal features, and user’s preferences are related.

This study aims to develop a methodology to capture in-depth impressions, which underlie the surface impressions of design, by using concept network analysis. The proposed methodology consists of association analysis of users' free descriptions, construction of concept network, and extraction of the in-depth impressions from the network. To investigate the application of the methodology, we carried out a case study. We examined the differences between three groups of hospital uniforms, comparing conventional and other colours. We found significant in-depth impressions from the concept networks of impressions. A clear difference was found among the three groups. The results confirm the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in understanding impressions of design. Finally, we proposed to implement the findings in selecting the colour for hospital uniforms.

In this paper, we discuss the relations between the viewpoints of users and designers. The main issue in design is that the user's and designer's viewpoints do not integrate well. In this study, we integrate the user's viewpoint into our new proposed design methodology by applying a meaning-based framework in conceptual design. This methodology introduces a user-derived evaluation of 'structure of meaning elements' (SoME) as part of the user's viewpoint into the particular design phase. Furthermore, we test the proposed design methodology in a case study. The results outline the feasibility of the framework. This study reveals details of how concepts are formed in design and how concept formation can be achieved using design methodology. The significance of this study for science and practical application lies in the proposed integration of the user-derived evaluation of SoME as a step in the design methodology.