The Kano model is a theory for product development and customer satisfaction developed in the 1980s by Professor Noriaki Kano, which classifies customer preferences into five categories.
  • Helps determine and prioritize which product attributes are most important to the customer
  • By assigning each product attribute to one of five categories, customer values regarding satisfaction can be revealed.
    • Required (atari mae or “quality element”) are the baseline features that must be included, such as privacy, safety, and security.
    • Desired (ichi gen teki or “one-dimensional quality element”) are attributes that when included, increase the perceived value of the product.
    • Exciter/Delighter (mi ryoku teki or “attractive quality element”) are a source of surprise based on latent customer needs, improving measures of satisfaction.
    • Neutral (mu kan shin or “indifferent quality element”) represent features that customers don’t have strong feelings for either way.
    • Anti-feature (gyaku or “reverse quality element”) attributes provide insight into what you should leave out of a product.

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