The Max-Min Kano framework: A context-sensitive method for evaluating office design features

Product and building-related features are sometimes perceived differently across studies because they are experienced in different environmental contexts. The proposed Max-Min Kano methodology evaluates office design features under two contrasting contexts: a minimal environment with few positively appraised attributes and a maximal environment with many. Office-relevant attributes were identified through participatory elicitation and then evaluated using a Kano questionnaire (N = 32). Perceptual robustness was defined as retention of a Kano classification across the two contexts, while participant-level bootstrapping assessed sampling stability. View-related variables, window size, biophilic views, fewer façade obstructions, and proximity to windows were stable across contexts. They were Attractive, meaning they added satisfaction even when not strictly expected. In contrast, privacy provided by partitions emerged as a Must-be quality, while the presence of windows and ceiling height showed a One-dimensional relationship with satisfaction in both contexts. Other attributes, such as the seated-desk view, density, partition height, focal points, color, and materiality, were more sensitive to the baseline context. Adaptation-Level Theory, Stress Recovery theory, Attention Restoration theory, and Prospect-Refuge theory help explain these results. Overall, the Max-Min Kano approach helps identify features that remain perceptually robust across contexts, making it useful for prioritizing design features in real-world settings. The study shows that Kano categories are context-expressive rather than being intrinsic properties of features. For this reason, baseline context should be reported when evaluating user preferences across different spatial conditions.