Perceived sensory characteristics of wood by consumers and trained evaluators.

Abstract

The increase in wood consumption has led to the search for species that guaranteea volume of production and the least possible environmental impact. It, therefore,becomes necessary to investigate the reason behind consumer choices for certaintypes of wood. The designer is essential in this interpretation of reasons that leadthe user to opt for a product, transforming subjective preferences into tangibledesign characteristics. This article presents research that investigated users’ tactileand visual perceptions of wood. Tests with users, based on sensory analysis provedto be an appropriate method to study the relationship between people’s subjectivejudgment and the technical characteristics of the products. The outcome of thisstudy reveals the possibility of further investigations concerning the perceivedaspects of users, which can add value to planted forest timber.