Consumer-oriented product conceptualization via a web-based data mining approach

Abstract

Rapid advancing information technology (IT) has significantly improved the efficiency and effectiveness of capturing consumers' concerns of a product and increased the importance of its role in new product development (NPD). To ride on this trend, this work proposes an approach that aims at establishing an axiomatic product conceptualization system (APCS) to meet the demand of consumer-oriented product concept development. The proposed prototype APCS comprises three modules, namely, knowledge elicitation module using laddering technique; knowledge representation module using design knowledge hierarchy (DKH); and knowledge synthesis module using restricted Coulomb energy (RCE) neural network. Accordingly, this system offers a method of making design decisions via a web-based data mining product conceptualization approach. A case study on golf wood club design is used for system illustration. © Springer-Verlag London 2013.