QUALE ®: A new Toolbox for Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis of Human Perceptions

This paper presents a software aimed at making easier the design of customized products in accor- dance with consumers' expectations. It is based on a user-centered design methodology which combines techniques provided by Kansei Engineering, Sen- sory Analysis, and Soft Computing. Consumers' expectations are naturally expressed in the form of vague assessments related to human perceptions. Soft Computing techniques, namely Fuzzy Logic, can assist both Sensory Analysis and Kansei Engi- neering in the design and customization of products because of: (1) their suitability for computing with perceptions, and (2) their ability to tackle with im- precision and uncertainty in system identification. The utility of the software has been illustrated with a case study related to gin packaging.