A comparative study on designer and customer preference models of leather for vehicle

The purpose of this study is to examine the difference in the tactile perception between designers and customers for leathers in vehicle interiors and to derive preference models that describe the relationship between the tactile perception and physical measurements the leathers. An experiment was performed on ten natural leathers manufactured in the automotive industry. The questionnaires were designed based on six pairs of adjectives: wet-dry, slippery-sticky, smooth-rough, flat-bumpy, hard-soft, and thin-thick for sensory evaluation. In addition, eight physical measurements were selected to identify the characteristics of leathers that affect the tactile perception of designers and customers. The relationship between the experiment results and physical measurements was determined by correlation and regression analyses. The statistical results show a significant difference between designer and customer in the tactile properties of the leathers. Also, the tactile perception from both designers and customers was associated with more than one physical measurement, while the designers and customers showed different tactile association with physical measurements. This study contributes to the comprehension and recognition of the differences in preferences for leathers in vehicle interiors between designers and customers and, by designing the prediction model of preference based on the physical measurements, the uncertainty in the market for automobile manufacturers can be reduced.