Mitsuo Nagamachi
Dr. Mitsuo Nagamachi is a Japanese scholar and researcher. He is noted for developing Kansei Engineering or Kansei Ergonomics, a pioneering methodology that integrates human emotional responses into product design. This method translates feelings and impressions into product parameters, allowing the “measurement” of feelings.
Biography
Nagamachi was born in 1936 in Kobe, Japan. He pursued his academic training in psychology, earning his Ph.D. in literature (theoretical psychology) from Hiroshima University in 1963.[1] He also studied medical science and engineering while in graduate school. His medical interest included cerebrophysiology and Alzheimer’s disease.[1]
Nagamachi’s early work focused on the intersection of cognitive science and industrial design, laying the foundation for a career that would revolutionize how consumer preferences are translated into tangible product features.
Kansei engineering
In the 1970s, Nagamachi began developing Kansei Engineering, a system that captures the affective responses of users—such as feelings, sensitivity, impressions, aesthetics, emotion, intuition, and desires, among others — and converts them into design parameters for products and services.[2] In this framework, Nagamachi defined kansei as a subjective impression arising from a certain artifact, environment, or situation using all senses as much as recognition. The Kansei Engineering approach marked a significant departure from traditional engineering, which often prioritized functionality over emotional resonance. Nagamachi holds that there are three fundamental issues in Kansei engineering: how to understand the kansei of the customer; how to reflect the kansei in product design; and how to create an organized system oriented to emotional design.[2]
The theoretical underpinnings of Kansei Engineering are rooted in the belief that consumer satisfaction is influenced not only by a product’s utility but also by its emotional appeal. Nagamachi’s work emphasizes the importance of understanding the psychological and sensory dimensions of user experience.[3] His methodology involves breaking down product design into discrete elements, interpreting the emotional responses associated with each, and synthesizing these insights into a coherent design strategy. The product design method is comprised of the following phases:
- Set goals;
- collect emotional words;
- evaluate emotional words;
- quantify by means of engineering;
- get the result.[4]
Nagamachi has consulted with corporations and government agencies on the application of Kansei Engineering. His insights have helped shape consumer-centric design philosophies in industries ranging from automotive to healthcare. For example, Nagamachi helped Mazda in developing its sports car named “Miata”. The vehicle’s parts – from the engine, exterior, to interior components – all were designed from the viewpoint of kansei ergonomics.[3] Other notable examples of the application of Kansei Engineering across diverse industries include the design of Sharp’s Liquid Crystal Viewcam and Wacoal’s Good-Up Bra, all of which were developed using Kansei principles.[5][3]
Academic work
Nagamachi’s academic career spans several decades and includes leadership roles. He was a professor of the Faculty of Engineering at Hiroshima University since 1978.[6] He then served as Professor Emeritus at the university and later as Dean of the Kansei Design Department at Hiroshima International University.[1] He also founded and currently presides over the International Kansei Design Institute, an organization dedicated to advancing research and application of Kansei methodologies worldwide. He frequently travels to China, Korea, and Indonesia to teach ergonomics, safety, kansei engineering, and to support manufacturing systems and robotics.[3]
Nagamachi has authored or co-authored over eighty-nine books and more than two hundred academic articles, many of which are considered foundational texts in the field of affective engineering. His book Innovations of Kansei Engineering, co-written with Anitawati Mohd Lokman, provides a comprehensive overview of the methodology, including its theoretical framework, practical applications, and computational models.[1]
His contributions have earned him recognition, including the Japan Prize in 2008 and multiple awards from the Japan Society of Kansei Engineering.[7] He was also a recipient of the "Distinguished Foreign Researcher Award" from the Human Factors Society (USA) in 1992 and the Fellowship Award from the International Society of Ergonomics in 2002.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Nagamachi, Mitsuo; Lokman, Anitawati Mohd (2015); Kansei Innovation: Practical Design Applications for Product and Service Development; Boca Raton: CRC Press; ISBN 978-1-4987-0683-4. p. x
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dahlgaard-Park, Su Mi (2015); The SAGE Encyclopedia of Quality and the Service Economy; SAGE Publications; ISBN 978-1-5063-1505-8
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Karwowski, Waldemar (2006); International Encyclopedia of Ergonomics and Human Factors – Vol. 2. Boca Raton; CRC Press; ISBN 978-0-8493-7547-7; p. 3460
- ↑ Marcus, Aaron; Wang, Wentao (2019); Design, User Experience, and Usability. Practice and Case Studies: 8th International Conference, DUXU 2019, Held as Part of the 21st HCI International Conference, HCII 2019; July 26–31, 2019, Proceedings, Part IV; Springer; ISBN 978-3-030-23535-2; p. 165
- ↑ Chung, WonJoon; Shin, Cliff Sungsoo (2017); Advances in Affective and Pleasurable Design: Proceedings of the AHFE 2017 International Conference on Affective and Pleasurable Design; July 17–21, 2017; Springer; ISBN 978-3-319-60495-4; p. 363
- ↑ Richter, Franz-Jurgen (2013); The Dynamics of Japanese Organizations; Routledge; ISBN 978-1-136-16876-5; p 11
- ↑ "Mitsuo Nagamachi Routledge & CRC Press Author Profile". Routledge. Retrieved 2025-09-07.
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