Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
are already involved when designers integrate information. Its content can be
classi
!
ed into information called high-level information, middle-level information,
and low-level information, according to a terminology on loan from arti
!
cial
retained this de
!
nition which is relevant in our case because it describes precisely
the skills of the designers and it covers the whole information levels the designers
deal with. These levels of information go from very abstract values such as purity to
concrete attributes such as the white color. Low-level information encompasses
characteristics of shape, color, and texture. Middle-level information includes
concepts and artifact names. High-level information is translated at the same time
by semantic descriptors, sociological values, and affective and emotional dimen-
sions, which lead us to the de
!
nition of kansei. This emotional dimension is a major
one in those which are perceived and processed by the designers. It covers 46 % of
the whole information integrated and processed by the designers,
the other
3.2 Kansei Rules
We emphasized the variety of types of information which are behind the term of
kansei. These information are nonhomogeneous and this is a dif
!
culty when trying
to formalize the process. Kansei refers as well as the content of information as the
expert relations that can be built by the designers between these various corpus of
data involved into the design process. Designer's skills mainly lie in mastering the
whole set of data categories working, and above all in the ability to link them
together in an intuitive way. The core expertise of designers comes from their
ability to link high-level information with low-level attributes and vice versa.
In particular, a main part of the expert rules involved of association, categorization,
or generation carried out by the designers, consists in linking low-level information
with low-level information and to use various levels of abstraction at the same time.
Kansei rules are brought into play in a quasi-continuous way in order to mentally or
explicitly categorize design information. They are subtly crossed with other rules
applying to the contribution of harmonies intra- or interlevels which provoke
positive emotional reactions. They are conjointly supported by analogical reasoning
which will also contribute to provoke some feelings in the presence of more or less
evident metaphors.
3.3 Need to Formalize the Kansei Information Process
Nowadays, it is necessary to better understand kansei information and kansei rules.
Indeed, the development of new computer systems for supporting the early design
activity requires a clear and detailed formalization of the latter. Making explicit
