A Study between Consumer Behaviors and Form Design of Wooden Furniture--The Art of Tea Savoring Furniture in Taiwan

• Main Authors: Chi-Hsiung Chen, 陳啟雄
• Other Authors: Kouchung J. Lee
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2000
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/33741730098127047304

博士 === 國立臺灣大學 === 森林學研究所 === 88 === This study carries out questionnaire survey and analysis from the perspective of market consumer behavior on the consideration factors and satisfaction of Taiwan public’s tea drinking culture, the consumption behavior, the manufactures’ wood material source and consumers’ ideal for tea furniture; at the same time documentation of marketing strategy related to consumer behavior is also gathered and analyzed. In addition, consumers’ ideal factors for tea furniture are also investigated via direct questionnaire survey; factor analysis methodology is applied in the statistics in seeking out the factors related to such furniture designing, and turned into the essential factors for the styling of tea savoring furniture; drawings are made by means of computer 3D simulation to serve as the sample drawings of final survey on consumption value evaluation. The statistical analysis results and differentiation analysis of the aforesaid evaluation survey are used in successfully build a new R&D mode of consumption behavior orientation for designing tea furniture. The study is directed at studying the critical factors that affect Taiwan public’s tea consumption psychology, consumption behavior, consumer group distribution, and causes leading to the designs of tea savoring furniture and the designs close to the consumers’ ideal. The study result discovers that in the tea savoring culture and consumption psychology:（I）technology has availed unprecedented convenience which also leads to more panic and disquiet；the public begins to attend to health, diet and exercise；wherein, tea drinking becomes a new index of healthy diet； （II）in general, the public’s understanding of tea ceremonial culture is less than foreign countries for coffee；Taiwan’s tea ceremonial culture remains to be advocated in changing the greater public’s Western culture worshipping mentality and misconception that coffee drinking is a more prestigious choice； （III）given the public’s unfamiliarity with the Chinese tea drinking ritual, self-serving teahouses invariably create unnecessary predicament, making cultural education another issue for the operating teahouses. In terms of tea consumption behavior:（I）with tea drinking, Taiwan public pursues ambiance of antiquity, naturalness and serenity；Chinese garden style is most favored in the central and south regions；however, due to the space limitation of the north, teahouses are mostly located in the suburbs and emphatic of natural awareness. （II）The consumers’ up-to-date reactions to the teahouses’ tea savoring furniture can be categorized as:（1）mostly dissatisfied；（2）preference for sentimental ambiance； （3）preference for styling suggestive of Chinese tradition；（4）preference for imitation of antiquity and attempts of new styling. （III）Generally, the minimum pricing of NT $100 to 200 is most popular, followed by the range of NT$200 to 300. （IV）In the course of designing evaluation, it is discovered that the value senses of different age groups greatly vary from the tradition: the senior group no longer abides by the convention and is open to new ideas while the young generation opt for the trend of antiquity recreation, and the middle aged shows sentiment identification and rational consumption habit. Such information is vital, first hand to market distribution. With the aspect of tea consumer groups:（I）the young consumers deem it as a family activity；the prevalent flavored tea in the market（e.g.: milk tea with choice of flavoring）appeals to the segment’s preference for quick and economical qualities. （II）teahouse frequenters lie with the office staff in the range of 20 to 29,and mostly of high educational background（college sector accounts for 40% and 54% for universities）；there is also apparent frequency decline along with age and busy schedule. （III）Tea drinking culture is more popular in the central and south regions; the former prefers teahouses while the latter generally savors tea at home or in small business premises, and the north is in the middle; the reasons are possibility related to busy life style, individual mentality, business format, etc. （IV）Sampling survey of general consumers（low involvement population）reveals that as high as 60.2% of consumers are partial to personal liking and will consider tea; over half majority of tea lovers are the potential consumer group remains to be developed. In terms of consumer favored tea savoring furniture:（I）consumers primarily prefer wooden furniture of classic Chinese styles, and emphatic of unique designing as well as the cultural ambiance in the usage thereof. （II）With the wooden materials for imitation of classic styles, mostly are made of old materials: domestic materials account for 91%, and the remaining 9% is from import. However, as the domestic material supply becomes increasingly scarce, imported materials are turning into a main source. （III）In the prevailing trend of compound materials, most people still prefer wooden materials for tea savoring furniture. （IV）Consumers are generally dissatisfied with the tea furniture currently available in the market; particularly with the height, mid-height is most popular. With the aspect of ideal designing in the mind of consumers:（I）the questionnaire survey shows that the tea savoring furniture solely designed for such purpose has the highest consumer recognition. （II）Today’s fierce market competition has resulted in consumers’ pursuit for ambiance and atmosphere as well as personal preferences. With the styles of furniture, consumers believe that the designing should address the overall aspects of space, furniture function and usage to achieve uniform coordination. Along with the continual changing of consumer values and enhancement of living standards, the diversification and individualization of consumer products, the younger generations’ views in general have transpired. Therefore, this study distinguishes consumer groups and consumption formats into four major categories, and establishes design directions according to the survey results, yielding seven designs for tea savoring furniture as the drawings for consumption evaluation. In summary of the study above, it reveals that we are able to understand the course of all matters is a cycle of burgeoning, growing, strengthening, challenging, declining or re-growing. Such mode not only can be applied in the evolution of culture; it also conforms to the development of industry. Therefore, this study aims at, via designing tea savoring furniture from the orientation of consumer behavior, providing Taiwan furniture manufacturers who are experiencing the challenge of industry upgrade and in the face of the rising competition from China with a new approach in the trying course of transformation and growth. Such information can be of reference value to related industries.