Comparative study on user and manufacturer perception of ergonomics requirement on sofa design in Malaysia

Abstract

Development of ergonomic sofa design is a design process includes the basic framework specification, type of material, consideration of sofa features and sofa production methods that is applied on the sofa design. One of the methods that can be used in developing most appropriate design is by applying the process of upgrading existing sofa furniture through structural development that are based on user and manufacturer perception. Therefore, the goal of the paper is to develop a conceptual design for ergonomic sofa based on the user and manufacturer perception. To achieve this goal, a survey involving 30 respondents of sofa makers and sofa consumers was conducted to obtain feedback regarding the conceptual design of ergonomic sofa. The questionnaire survey had emphasize on the concept of sofa, general features of sofa, basic materials of sofa, basic color scheme and price range based on consumer perception and also focused on the basic specifications and material dimensions of sofa materials used. The results of data analysis show that the size of basic dimensions and materials is essential in designing an ergonomic sofa and user preferences have been identified. The survey is very important to find out the basic specifications in the development of ergonomic design through perception of sofa maker and consumers. The future stage of the research will focus on the incorporation of anthropometric data in order to address the innovative criterion of the development.