Methods and systems for proposing design guidelines for housing.

Abstract

This provides a method for easily proposing design guidelines for floor plans that suit the individual household lifestyles of each person. [Solution] This is a method for proposing design guidelines for houses. This method includes: a first step of preparing a computer in which a first database is pre-entered, which associates a plurality of evaluation elements 25 that serve as criteria for self-evaluating housework with a plurality of design guidelines 26 regarding floor plans to enhance self-evaluation; a second step of inputting at least one evaluation element 25 that the subject considers important from among the plurality of evaluation elements 25; a third step of identifying at least one design guideline 26 associated with the input evaluation element 25 based on the first database; and a fourth step of displaying the identified design guideline 26.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a method and system for proposing housing design guidelines.

Background Art

[0002] The following Patent Document 1 describes a method for designing a custom-built house. In this design method, the specifications of the house are determined based on the user's requirements.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] [[ID=……]]Generally, in a house, housework such as cleaning, washing, and cooking is carried out daily. Therefore, it is extremely important to propose a floor plan that is easy to do housework for users who plan to newly purchase a house (hereinafter referred to as "target persons"). However, in recent years, the styles of housework and the values regarding housework have become increasingly diverse. As a result, the floor plans that are easy to do housework also vary for each target person at present.

[0005] Also, on the side of designers who design the floor plan of a house, due to differences in design skills and experience, etc., there are various ideas regarding floor plans that are easy to do housework.

[0006] Due to such a situation, there was room for improvement in quickly proposing a floor plan that is easy to do housework suitable for each individual target person.

[0007] The inventors found that the above problem can be solved by classifying the subject's style of housework and values ​​using evaluation elements for housework as perceived by the subject, and by associating each evaluation element with design guidelines for floor plans suitable for enhancing that evaluation element.

[0008] This invention was devised in view of the above circumstances, and its main purpose is to provide a method that can easily propose design guidelines for floor plans that suit the household chore style of each individual. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] The present invention is a method for proposing housing design guidelines to a target person, comprising: a first step of preparing a computer in which a first database is pre-entered, which associates a plurality of evaluation elements that serve as criteria for self-evaluating housework with a plurality of design guidelines concerning floor plans that enhance the self-evaluation; a second step of inputting at least one evaluation element that the target person considers important from among the plurality of evaluation elements into the computer; a third step of the computer identifying at least one design guideline associated with the input evaluation element based on the first database; and a fourth step of the computer displaying the identified design guideline. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] By adopting the above configuration, the method for proposing housing design guidelines according to the present invention makes it possible to easily propose design guidelines for floor plans that suit the household lifestyle of individual subjects. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a diagram showing an example of a house floor plan. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of a system for proposing design guidelines for houses. [Figure 3]This flowchart shows an example of the processing procedure for proposing design guidelines for houses. [Figure 4] This figure shows an example of an input screen displaying questions about self-assessment of household chores and fields for answering those questions. [Figure 5] This diagram shows an example of the reasons for the evaluation entered in the second response field, along with the evaluation elements. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of observational results regarding household chore-related behaviors within a home. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the first database. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of an output screen displaying design guidelines. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows an example of the processing procedure for the second step of another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] This is a block diagram of the evaluation element input section of another embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This figure shows an example of several questions included in a survey. [Figure 12] This figure shows an example of a response section to a question. [Figure 13] This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for a specific step. [Figure 14] This figure shows an example of factor loadings for multiple questions and multiple clusters. [Figure 15] These are radar charts showing the number of each evaluation element associated with each cluster. (a) is the radar chart for the cluster of those who "leverage their strengths and share tasks," and (b) is the radar chart for the cluster of those who "cooperate flexibly." [Figure 16] This figure shows an example of the output screen of another embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described based on the drawings. It should be understood that the drawings include exaggerated expressions and expressions different from the actual structural dimension ratios in order to assist in understanding the content of the invention. Also, throughout each embodiment, the same or common elements are given the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted. Furthermore, the specific configurations shown in the embodiments and the drawings are for the purpose of understanding the content of the present invention, and the present invention is not limited to the specific configurations shown.

[0013] In the method for proposing housing design guidelines in this embodiment (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "proposal method"), housing design guidelines are proposed to the target person. The target person in this embodiment is exemplified as a person who plans to newly purchase a house, but is not particularly limited. For example, a person who vaguely considers purchasing a house in the future (potential customer), etc. may be included in the target person.

[0014] In this embodiment, the proposed design guidelines include design guidelines regarding the floor plan (room arrangement) of the house. For this reason, the house that is the target of the design guideline proposal is exemplified as an ordered house whose floor plan is not yet determined. Note that it is not limited to the case where the floor plan of an ordered house is proposed. For example, a floor plan for renovation of a built-for-sale house or an existing house may be proposed. Also, in the proposal method, in addition to the design guidelines regarding the floor plan, design guidelines regarding, for example, housing facilities such as sinks and household electrical appliances such as dishwashers may be further proposed. [[ID=##]]

[0015] [Floor plan of the house] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the floor plan 2 of the house 1. In FIG. 1, only the floor plan 2 of the first floor of the house 1 is shown representatively. Note that in FIG. 1, a general floor plan 2 is exemplified, and it is not the case that the floor plan 2 for which design guidelines are proposed in the proposal method of this embodiment is exemplified.

[0016] As shown in Figure 1, the house 1 includes multiple rooms 3. Examples of multiple rooms 3 include, as in conventional designs, a living room 3A, dining room 3B, kitchen 3C, Japanese-style room 3D, toilet 3E, washroom 3F, bathroom 3G, entrance hall 3H, bedroom (not shown), and children's room (not shown). However, the multiple rooms 3 are not limited to this configuration; for example, some of these rooms 3 may be omitted depending on the wishes of the subject or the family structure, or other rooms (for example, a laundry room or study not shown) may be included.

[0017] [Inventors' findings] Incidentally, household chores such as cleaning, laundry, and cooking are performed daily within the dwelling (1). Therefore, it is extremely important to propose floor plans (2) that facilitate these chores to the target individuals. However, in recent years, styles of housework and values ​​regarding housework have become increasingly diverse, and as a result, what constitutes a "housework-friendly" floor plan (2) differs from person to person. Furthermore, even among the designers who design the floor plans (2) of the dwelling (1) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "designers"), there are various ideas about what constitutes a housework-friendly floor plan (2) due to differences in design skills and experience. Because of this situation, there was room for improvement in quickly proposing housework-friendly floor plans (2) that are suitable for each individual target individual.

[0018] As a result of diligent research, the inventors classified the household chore styles and values ​​of the subjects using evaluation elements that the subjects consider important for household chores. They then discovered that by associating each evaluation element with design guidelines for floor plans suitable for enhancing that element, the above problem (i.e., quickly proposing floor plans that make household chores easier for the subjects) can be solved.

[0019] In the proposed method of this embodiment, based on the above findings, design guidelines for floor plan 2 that suit the household chore style of each individual are proposed.

[0020] [A system for proposing design guidelines for houses] The proposed method of this embodiment uses a proposal system for design guidelines for a house 1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as the "proposal system"). The proposal system of this embodiment is configured as a computer. This computer is configured as, for example, a personal computer or a portable information terminal (tablet type, etc.), but is not particularly limited, and may be configured as, for example, a server (cloud server). Figure 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the proposal system 10 for design guidelines for a house.

[0021] The proposed system 10 of this embodiment includes an input device 11, a display device 12, and a processing unit 13. These devices together constitute a proposal system 10 (computer 14) capable of proposing design guidelines for a house 1 (shown in Figure 1) to a target individual.

[0022] [Input devices and display devices] The input device 11 may be, for example, a keyboard, mouse, or touch panel. The display device 12 may be, for example, a display device or printer.

[0023] [Arithmetic Processing Unit] The arithmetic processing unit 13 includes an arithmetic unit (CPU) 13A that performs various calculations, a storage unit 13B that stores data, programs, etc., and a working memory 13C.

[0024] [Storage] The storage unit 13B is a non-volatile information storage device, such as a magnetic disk, optical disk, or SSD. The storage unit 13B is composed of a data unit 15 and a program unit 16.

[0025] [Data Section] The data unit 15 is for storing information necessary for proposing design guidelines for house 1 (shown in Figure 1). In this embodiment, the data unit 15 includes a first database storage unit 15A, a second database storage unit 15B, an evaluation element storage unit 15C, a design guideline storage unit 15D, a response result storage unit 15E, and a cluster storage unit 15F. However, the data unit 15 is not limited to the configuration of these storage units; for example, some of these may be omitted, or it may include additional storage units (not shown) for storing other data.

[0026] [Programming Department] The program unit 16 is a program (computer program) necessary for executing the method of proposing design guidelines for a house. When this program unit (program) 16 is executed by the calculation unit 13A, the computer 14 can be made to function as a specific means for proposing the design guidelines for the house 1 shown in Figure 1.

[0027] The program unit 16 of this embodiment includes a first database input unit 16A, an evaluation element input unit 16B, a design guideline identification unit 16C, and a display unit 16D. The program unit 16 is not limited to this configuration; for example, some of these components may be omitted, or other program units with different functions (not shown) may be included. Details of the functions of these program units 16 will be described later.

[0028] [Method for proposing design guidelines for housing (First embodiment)] Next, an example of the processing procedure of the proposed method in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the program unit 16 included in the proposed system 10 shown in Figure 2 is executed by the calculation unit 13A, thereby carrying out the processing of each step of the proposed method. Figure 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the proposed method for housing design guidelines.

[0029] [Prepare the computer into which the first database has been entered.] In the proposed method of this embodiment, a computer 14 (shown in Figure 2) with the first database pre-loaded is prepared (first step S1). In this embodiment, if a computer 14 with the first database loaded (i.e., the first database stored in the first database storage unit 15A) is already prepared, the first step S1 may be omitted.

[0030] In the first step S1 of this embodiment, first, the first database input unit 16A, included in the program unit 16 shown in Figure 2, is loaded into the working memory 13C. The first database input unit 16A is a program for inputting the first database into the computer 14 (first database storage unit 15A). By executing this first database input unit 16A by the arithmetic unit 13A, the computer 14 can be made to function as a means for inputting the first database.

[0031] The first database, based on the aforementioned findings, links multiple evaluation elements that serve as criteria for self-assessment of housework with multiple design guidelines for floor plans that enhance self-assessment. In such a first database, by identifying the evaluation elements that each individual values ​​from among the multiple evaluation elements, design guidelines for floor plans associated with those evaluation elements can be identified. This allows for the rapid and easy proposal of design guidelines for floor plans that suit each individual's housework style (i.e., those that can enhance self-assessment of housework).

[0032] [Multiple evaluation factors] Multiple evaluation elements can be set as appropriate, as long as they provide criteria for self-evaluation of household chores. As mentioned above, styles of household chores and values ​​regarding household chores have become increasingly diverse in recent years, making it difficult to set evaluation elements. For this reason, for example, a survey on self-evaluation of household chores may be conducted in advance with several third parties different from the target person (hereinafter sometimes referred to as "survey subjects"), and multiple evaluation elements may be set based on the results of that survey.

[0033] Surveys of multiple participants can be conducted as appropriate, provided that multiple evaluation factors can be identified. Furthermore, in step 3 S3 described below, it is preferable to conduct surveys of various participants (for example, participants with at least some differences in gender, family structure, and age group) in order to appropriately identify the evaluation factors that each participant considers important. Also, from the perspective of appropriately identifying the evaluation factors of participants, a larger number of participants is preferable. However, due to constraints such as survey costs and survey time, the number of participants may be, for example, around 200 to 1000.

[0034] The survey can be conducted as needed. For example, multiple survey participants could be directly asked about the factors they consider important when self-evaluating household chores (e.g., the degree of completion of chores, the quality of the chores, etc.). However, if such factors are asked suddenly, some survey participants may find it difficult to answer.

[0035] In the survey of this embodiment, first, each of the multiple survey participants is asked to rate their self-assessment of household chores and the reason for that rating. The score and reason may be a self-assessment of household chores in general (for example, including cooking, laundry, and cleaning), or it may be a self-assessment of each individual household chore (cooking, laundry, and cleaning).

[0036] Figure 4 shows an example of an input screen 23 displaying a question 21 regarding self-assessment of household chores and an answer field 22 for that question 21. The input screen 23 is displayed, for example, on the display device 12 of the proposed system 10 shown in Figure 2. Then, the answers from each survey participant are entered into the answer field 22 shown in Figure 4 via the input device 11.

[0037] The input screen 23 shown in Figure 4 displays a first response field 22A for each household chore (in this example, including cooking, laundry, cleaning, and general household chores) for each participant to input a score for their self-assessment (evaluation of their efforts). Furthermore, for each household chore, a second response field 22B is displayed for the participant to input the reason for their score (reason for evaluation 24). Through these first response fields 22A and second response fields 22B, each participant's self-assessment of their household chores can be obtained.

[0038] In this embodiment, by having respondents input a score in the first response field 22A, they can roughly evaluate their approach to housework. Subsequently, by inputting the reason for the score (reason for self-evaluation 24) in the second response field 22B, the respondents can efficiently identify their efforts and frustrations regarding housework (i.e., the elements they consider important when self-evaluating housework). Thus, in this embodiment, by asking questions about self-evaluation of housework in stages, the elements can be identified more easily and accurately compared to, for example, if the above elements were asked suddenly.

[0039] Figure 5 shows an example of the reason for evaluation 24 and evaluation element 25 entered in the second response field 22B (shown in Figure 4). In Figure 5, some of the reason for evaluation 24 for general household chores are shown as representative examples.

[0040] Next, a known factor analysis is performed on the evaluation reasons 24 shown in Figure 5. Through such a factor analysis, multiple factors that are common to the points of ingenuity and dissatisfaction with housework can be identified, using these as observed variables. These multiple factors summarize the points of ingenuity (particularity) and dissatisfaction (stress) with housework. Therefore, these multiple factors are identified as multiple evaluation elements 25 that serve as criteria for self-evaluation of housework. In this embodiment, factor analysis is performed on the evaluation reasons 24 for housework in general, but it is not limited to this form, and for example, factor analysis may be performed on all of the evaluation reasons 24 for individual housework (cooking, laundry, cleaning, etc.) shown in Figure 4.

[0041] The multiple evaluation elements 25, based on the factor analysis described above, include at least one element related to, for example, "quality of housework," "achievement level of housework," "balance of focus on multiple housework tasks," "ingenuity in housework," "balancing housework with non-housework activities," and "family sharing of housework." In this embodiment, all of these elements constitute the multiple evaluation elements 25. In Figure 5, among the multiple evaluation elements 25, "1" is shown for each evaluation element 25 to which each reason 24 of the evaluation applies, indicating the number of applicable elements.

[0042] As described above, in this embodiment, multiple evaluation elements 25 are identified based on the results of surveys conducted on multiple subjects (in this example, subjects who differ in at least some aspects of gender, family structure, and age group). This makes it possible to more reliably identify from these multiple evaluation elements 25 the evaluation elements 25 that are suitable for various subjects to whom the housing design guidelines are proposed (i.e., the evaluation elements 25 that subjects emphasize when self-evaluating housework). It should be noted that the multiple evaluation elements 25 are not limited to a configuration that includes all of the elements described above; for example, some of these may be omitted or other elements may be included depending on the characteristics of the subjects and the survey results.

[0043] [Multiple design guidelines] Multiple design guidelines can be set as appropriate, provided they are linked to multiple evaluation elements 25 and relate to floor plans that enhance self-esteem. As mentioned above, styles of housework and values ​​regarding housework have become increasingly diverse in recent years, making it difficult to identify design guidelines for floor plans that enhance self-esteem. Furthermore, even among designers who design house floor plans, there are various ideas about floor plans that facilitate housework, depending on differences in design skills and experience. In such cases, a survey on floor plans that can enhance self-esteem may be conducted in advance with multiple survey participants, and multiple design guidelines may be set based on the results of that survey.

[0044] Surveys involving multiple participants can be conducted as appropriate, provided that multiple design guidelines can be identified. For example, multiple participants could be directly asked about design guidelines related to floor plans that would enhance their self-esteem (e.g., a layout that allows for quick cleanup after meals, or a kitchen layout that minimizes entry and exit during cooking). However, some participants may find it difficult to answer such design guidelines if asked suddenly.

[0045] In this embodiment of the study, first, the household chore-related behaviors of each of the multiple subjects are observed within a house 1 (for example, shown in Figure 1). The observation may be conducted within the house 1 in which each subject currently resides, or within a common house (experimental facility) 1 prepared for observation. The observations may include the time required, distance traveled, heart rate (stress level), and the division of labor with one's spouse for each household chore (for example, cleaning, laundry, and cooking).

[0046] Observation of behavior may be carried out as appropriate. In this embodiment, at least one of the following is obtained for each research subject (including their spouse): the status of their household chores, location information (movement patterns), heart rate, and a video recording of their household chores. This allows for the specific identification of each research subject's household chore-related behavior within the residence 1.

[0047] The status of household chores is entered, for example, by the survey participants into a mobile device such as a smartphone. Location information is automatically acquired, for example, by a known location information acquisition device (a device capable of indoor positioning is preferable). Heart rate is automatically acquired, for example, by a wearable watch. Video is automatically acquired, for example, by a camera installed inside the house 1.

[0048] Figure 6 shows an example of observational results regarding household chore behavior within House 1. In Figure 6, the distance traveled and maximum heart rate for some of the household chores observed in a single participant are representative.

[0049] Next, household chore behaviors within the house 1 are analyzed to identify several design guidelines for the floor plan that enhance self-esteem. Once the design guidelines are identified, the analysis of behaviors may be carried out as appropriate. As mentioned above, the design guidelines are associated with several evaluation elements 25 (shown in Figure 5). In this embodiment, prior to identifying the design guidelines, household chore behaviors that influence the evaluation elements 25 of the survey participants are identified.

[0050] In the observation results (analysis results) of the survey participants shown in Figure 6, the household chores that resulted in relatively high maximum heart rates (i.e., stress) were "hanging laundry," "preparing and starting laundry," "folding and ironing laundry," "bringing in laundry," and "putting away laundry." Furthermore, the observation results showed that these laundry-related tasks were performed regularly by the survey participants, but not frequently. If such survey participants, for example, prioritize "achievement level of household chores" among the multiple evaluation elements 25 shown in Figure 5, then the household behavior that influences this "achievement level of household chores" can be identified as "the number of times they perform household chores that their spouse usually does or household chores that they do infrequently." If the survey participants can perform such household behaviors efficiently, for example, their self-evaluation (in this example, "achievement level of household chores") may increase. Therefore, household behaviors can be useful in identifying design guidelines for floor plans that will improve the self-evaluation of the survey participants.

[0051] Next, design guidelines for floor plans that enhance the self-esteem of the survey participants are identified. As mentioned above, if the above household chores are performed efficiently, the self-esteem of the survey participants (in this example, "achievement level of household chores") may increase. Therefore, in this embodiment, design guidelines that can enhance self-esteem regarding household chores are identified based on household chore behavior. For example, for a survey participant who values ​​"achievement level of household chores" and feels stressed about laundry, a design guideline that enables efficient performance of household chores (the number of times a spouse usually performs chores or chores performed infrequently) could be identified as "a laundry flow that is easy for anyone to understand." Furthermore, specific examples of design guidelines that could be identified (or inferred) include "a laundry flow that can be completed as a walk-through according to the laundry procedure" and "the permanent installation of an ironing counter."

[0052] Furthermore, in identifying design guidelines, the reasons for evaluation (keywords) 24 shown in Figure 5 may be considered along with the household chore behaviors of the survey participants. This makes it possible to identify design guidelines that take into account not only the household chore behaviors of the survey participants, but also their efforts and frustrations regarding household chores. In addition, the results of observations (analysis results) of the movement patterns of the survey participants when they are actually doing laundry may be considered in identifying design guidelines. This makes it possible to identify more specific design guidelines.

[0053] Next, a similar analysis is performed on other survey participants who prioritize "achievement level of household chores" among the 25 evaluation elements shown in Figure 5. Then, for all survey participants who prioritize "achievement level of household chores," design guidelines for floor plans that can improve their self-esteem are identified. These identified design guidelines are identified as design guidelines (features) for floor plans that can improve the self-esteem of survey participants who prioritize "achievement level of household chores."

[0054] The above analysis (observation) is conducted for each of the 25 evaluation elements. This identifies design guidelines (features) for floor plans that can improve self-esteem regarding housework for each of the 25 evaluation elements. Since these design guidelines are identified from the above observations of multiple survey participants, the influence of the designer's subjectivity can be suppressed. Therefore, appropriate design guidelines for floor plans that suit the housework style of each individual participant can be identified.

[0055] [First Database] In this embodiment, evaluation elements and design guidelines are associated. This allows for the acquisition of a first database. Figure 7 shows an example of the first database D1. In the first database D1, evaluation elements 25 that serve as criteria for self-evaluating household chores are associated with design guidelines 26 concerning floor plans that can improve self-evaluation of household chores.

[0056] Figure 7 shows, as representative of the evaluation elements 25, "achievement level of household chores" and "balancing household chores with other activities." Furthermore, representative design guidelines 26 associated with these evaluation elements 25 are shown. Through this first database D1, the evaluation elements 25 that the subject considers important can be identified, and by doing so, design guidelines 26 regarding floor plans associated with those evaluation elements 25 (i.e., those that suit the household chore style) can be identified.

[0057] The first database D1 may include, in addition to the evaluation elements 25 and design guidelines 26, household activities 27 that influence the evaluation elements 25. These household activities 27 are identified for each evaluation element 25 based on observations of household activities within the aforementioned house 1 (for example, shown in Figure 1) (i.e., the results of the analysis for identifying the design guidelines 26).

[0058] As mentioned above, the household chore behaviors 27 that influence "the degree of household chore accomplishment," one of the evaluation elements 25, include "the number of times household chores that are usually performed by the spouse or that are performed infrequently." The more efficiently these household chore behaviors 27 are performed, the higher the degree of household chore accomplishment (self-assessment) will be. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the household chore behaviors 27 that influence "the degree of household chore accomplishment" include "the time required for cooking after meals (cleaning up, washing dishes, etc.)." In this household chore behavior 27, the smaller the time required, the higher the degree of household chore accomplishment (self-assessment) will be. By identifying these household chore behaviors 27, the basis for the design guidelines 26 associated with evaluation element 25 ("degree of household chore accomplishment") (for example, "a layout that allows cleaning up after meals to be completed within 15 minutes" or "a laundry flow that is easy for anyone to understand") can be easily grasped.

[0059] The first database D1 may include not only the design guidelines 26 but also specific examples 28 of the design guidelines. Such specific examples 28 make it easy to understand the details of the design guidelines 26. These specific examples 28 are identified, for example, from observation results (analysis results) of multiple survey subjects, similar to the design guidelines 26. This helps to suppress the inclusion of the designer's subjectivity in the specific examples 28. Therefore, for each individual subject to whom the design guidelines 26 are proposed, specific examples 28 of floor plans that suit their household style can be appropriately identified.

[0060] The design guidelines 26 (including specific example 28) may include not only textual information 29 but also image information 30. The image information 30 may include, for example, photographs, illustrations, and / or floor plans. Such image information 30 allows the design guidelines 26 (specific example 28) to be grasped visually. Since this image information 30 is identified from observation results (analysis results) of multiple survey subjects, just like the design guidelines 26 (specific example 28), the influence of the designer's subjectivity can be suppressed. Therefore, for each individual subject to whom the design guidelines are proposed, image information 30 of a floor plan that suits their household style can be appropriately identified. The first database D1 is stored in the first database storage unit 15A shown in Figure 2.

[0061] [Enter the evaluation elements that the target audience values ​​(Step 2)] Next, in the proposed method of this embodiment, at least one evaluation element 25 (shown in Figure 5) that the subject considers important is input to the computer 14 (shown in Figure 2) (second step S2).

[0062] In the second step S2 of this embodiment, first, the evaluation element input unit 16B included in the program unit 16 shown in Figure 2 is loaded into the working memory 13C. The evaluation element input unit 16B is a program for inputting at least one evaluation element 25 that is important to the subject. By executing this evaluation element input unit 16B by the calculation unit 13A, the computer 14 can be made to function as a means for inputting the evaluation element 25.

[0063] At least one evaluation element 25 that the subject considers important can be appropriately identified from a plurality of evaluation elements 25 (shown in Figure 5). In the second step S2 of this embodiment, first, questions (hearing) are asked of the subject. The questions may be asked by a computer 14 (evaluation element input unit 16B) or by an operator (salesperson). Then, at least one evaluation element 25 that the subject considers important is identified from the answers to the questions.

[0064] Questions (interviews) may be conducted as appropriate once the evaluation elements 25 that the subject values ​​are identified. For example, the subject may be presented with multiple evaluation elements 25 (in this example, "quality of housework," "level of achievement of housework," "balance of focus on multiple housework tasks," "ingenuity in housework," "balancing housework with other activities," and "sharing of housework among family members") 25. Then, the subject may directly select the evaluation elements 25 that they value (are particular about) from these multiple evaluation elements 25.

[0065] In this embodiment, two evaluation elements 25 (for example, "achievement level of household chores" and "balancing household chores with other activities") are selected, but this is not particularly limited. For example, only one evaluation element 25 may be selected, or three or more evaluation elements 25 may be selected. The evaluation elements 25 that the subject considers important are stored in the evaluation element storage unit 15C shown in Figure 2.

[0066] [Identify design guidelines associated with evaluation elements (Step 3)] Next, in the proposed method of this embodiment, the computer 14 (shown in Figure 2) identifies at least one design guideline 26 associated with the evaluation element (evaluation element that the subject considers important) 25 based on the first database D1 shown in Figure 7 (third step S3).

[0067] In the third step S3 of this embodiment, first, the first database D1 (shown in Figure 7) stored in the first database storage unit 15A shown in Figure 2, and the evaluation elements 25 stored in the evaluation element storage unit 15C are loaded into the working memory 13C. Furthermore, the design guideline identification unit 16C included in the program unit 16 is loaded into the working memory 13C. The design guideline identification unit 16C is a program for identifying at least one design guideline 26 associated with the input evaluation element 25 based on the first database D1. By executing this design guideline identification unit 16C by the calculation unit 13A, the computer 14 can function as a means for identifying the design guideline 26.

[0068] In the third step S3 of this embodiment, first, evaluation elements 25 included in the first database D1 shown in Figure 7 that match the evaluation elements 25 that the subject values ​​(for example, "achievement level of housework" and "balancing housework with other activities") are identified. Then, design guidelines 26 associated with the identified evaluation elements 25 are identified. These design guidelines 26 relate to floor plans 2 that can improve self-evaluation for the subject who values ​​the above-mentioned evaluation elements 25 (i.e., that suit their housework style). By identifying such design guidelines 26, design guidelines 26 relating to floor plans that facilitate housework and are suitable for each individual subject can be identified quickly and easily.

[0069] Furthermore, since design guideline 26 is identified from the observation results (analysis results) of the aforementioned survey subjects, the influence of the designer's subjectivity can be suppressed. Therefore, design guideline 26 for floor plans that suit the household lifestyle can be appropriately identified for each individual subject.

[0070] In this embodiment, in addition to the design guidelines 26, specific examples 28 of the design guidelines and image information 30 of the design guidelines 26 may be further specified. Furthermore, household activities 27 that affect the evaluation elements 25 may be further specified. The specified design guidelines 26 (including specific examples 28 and image information 30 in this example) and household activities 27 are stored in the design guideline storage unit 15D shown in Figure 2.

[0071] [Display design guidelines (Fourth stage)] Next, in the proposed method of this embodiment, the computer 14 (shown in Figure 2) displays the design guidelines 26 identified in the third step S3 (fourth step S4).

[0072] In the fourth step S4 of this embodiment, first, the design guidelines 26 (in this example, including the specific example 28 and image information 30 shown in Figure 7) stored in the design guideline storage unit 15D shown in Figure 2, and the display unit 16D included in the program unit 16 are loaded into the working memory 13C. The display unit 16D is a program for displaying the specified design guidelines 26. By executing this display unit 16D by the calculation unit 13A, the computer 14 can be made to function as a means for displaying the specified design guidelines 26.

[0073] Figure 8 shows an example of an output screen 31 displaying the design guidelines 26. The output screen 31 is displayed, for example, on the display device 12 of the proposed system 10 shown in Figure 2. In the output screen 31 shown in Figure 8, the design guidelines 26 that result in a high self-assessment (matching the household chore style) are displayed for individuals who prioritize "achievement level of household chores" and "balancing household chores with other activities" among the multiple evaluation elements 25.

[0074] In the fourth step S4 of this embodiment, design guidelines 26 are displayed that are associated with evaluation elements 25 that the subject considers important (in this example, "achievement level of housework" and "balancing housework with other activities") from among a plurality of evaluation elements 25. These design guidelines 26 relate to floor plans 2 that can improve the self-evaluation of the subject who considers the above-mentioned evaluation elements 25 important (i.e., that suit their housework style). By displaying such design guidelines 26, design guidelines 26 relating to floor plans that facilitate housework and are suitable for each individual subject can be proposed quickly and easily.

[0075] Furthermore, since design guideline 26 is identified from the observation results (analysis results) of the aforementioned survey subjects, the influence of the designer's subjectivity can be suppressed. Therefore, design guideline 26 for floor plans that suit the household lifestyle can be appropriately proposed for each individual subject.

[0076] In this embodiment, two design guidelines 26 (shown in Figure 7) for improving the self-assessment of "achievement level of household chores" among the multiple evaluation elements 25 are displayed in the upper right corner of the output screen 31 shown in Figure 8. To help people understand these design guidelines 26 more concretely, specific examples 28 of the design guidelines and image information 30 of the design guidelines 26 may also be displayed.

[0077] In this embodiment, two design guidelines 26 (shown in Figure 7) for improving the self-assessment of "balancing housework and non-housework activities" among the multiple evaluation elements 25 are displayed in the lower right of the output screen 31 shown in Figure 8. To help people understand these design guidelines 26 more concretely, specific examples 28 of the design guidelines and image information 30 of the design guidelines 26 may also be displayed.

[0078] In this embodiment, the evaluation elements 25 that the subject considers important may be displayed on the output screen 31 shown in Figure 8. This makes it easy to understand the relationship between the evaluation elements 25 and the design guidelines 26 for improving the self-assessment of those evaluation elements 25.

[0079] In this embodiment, the evaluation element 25, "degree of completion of household chores," and the household chore actions 27 that influence the evaluation element 25 are displayed in the upper left of the output screen 31 shown in Figure 8. By displaying these household chore actions 27, the basis for the design guidelines 26 associated with the evaluation element 25, "degree of completion of household chores," can be easily grasped.

[0080] In this embodiment, the evaluation element 25, "balancing housework and non-housework activities," and the housework behaviors 27 that influence this evaluation element 25 are displayed in the lower left of the output screen 31 shown in Figure 8. By displaying these housework behaviors 27, the basis for the design guidelines 26 associated with the evaluation element 25, "balancing housework and non-housework activities," can be easily grasped.

[0081] In the fourth step S4, if the subject is satisfied with the displayed design guidelines 26, the design and construction of the house 1 may be carried out based on these design guidelines 26. This makes it possible to design and construct a house 1 with a floor plan that suits the subject's lifestyle.

[0082] [Method for Proposing Design Guidelines for Housing (Second Embodiment)] In the second step S2 of the previous embodiment, the subject directly selected the evaluation element 25 that they considered important from among multiple evaluation elements 25 (shown in Figure 5), but the embodiment is not limited to this. As mentioned above, the multiple evaluation elements 25 are aggregates (abstract) of points of ingenuity and dissatisfaction with housework. For this reason, some subjects may find it difficult to select (answer) the evaluation element 25 that they consider important.

[0083] In this embodiment, instead of having the participant directly select from multiple evaluation elements 25, the participant is asked several questions about their approach to household chores. Based on the results of these answers, the evaluation elements 25 are then identified.

[0084] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the second step S2 of another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 10 is a block diagram of the evaluation element input unit 16B of another embodiment of the present invention.

[0085] As shown in Figure 10, the evaluation element input unit 16B included in the program unit 16 (shown in Figure 2) of this embodiment includes a question unit 17 and an evaluation element identification unit 18. The evaluation element identification unit 18 includes a second database input unit 18A, a cluster identification unit 18B, and an identification unit 18C. Note that the evaluation element input unit 16B is not limited to this configuration; for example, some of these may be omitted, or other program units with other functions (not shown) may be included. Details of the functions of these evaluation element input units 16B will be described later.

[0086] [Ask several questions about your approach to household chores.] In the second step S2 of this embodiment, first, as shown in Figure 9, the subject is asked several questions regarding their approach to household chores (step S21).

[0087] In step S21 of this embodiment, first, the question unit 17 included in the evaluation element input unit 16B (program unit 16) shown in Figure 10 is loaded into the working memory 13C (shown in Figure 2). The question unit 17 is a program for asking the subject multiple questions about their approach to household chores. By executing this question unit 17 by the calculation unit 13A (shown in Figure 2), the computer 14 (shown in Figure 2) can be made to function as a means for asking multiple questions.

[0088] Multiple questions regarding approaches to household chores can be administered as appropriate, provided that the evaluation factors 25 (shown in Figure 8) that the subject values ​​most can be identified. In this embodiment, a questionnaire containing a predetermined set of questions is used.

[0089] Figure 11 shows an example of several questions 34 included in questionnaire 33. Figure 11 shows a representative selection of some of the questions 34 included in questionnaire 33. Figure 12 shows an example of the answer fields 35 for question 34.

[0090] Questionnaire 33 is displayed on the display device 12 of the proposed system 10 shown in Figure 2. Then, responses from the participants are entered into the response field 35 shown in Figure 12 via the input device 11.

[0091] The multiple questions 34 shown in Figure 11 can be set as appropriate, as long as they relate to one's approach to housework. For example, a question 34 may be set that relates to at least one of the multiple evaluation elements 25 shown in Figure 5 (including, for example, "quality of housework" or "level of achievement of housework").

[0092] One example of question 34 related to "division of household chores among family members," which is one of the evaluation elements 25, is "My spouse and I have clearly defined roles for dividing household chores." Another example of question 34 related to "ingenuity in household chores," which is another of the evaluation elements 25, is "I would be willing to purchase even slightly expensive appliances if they would save time or make household chores more efficient." In this way, by setting multiple questions 34 related to evaluation elements 25, the evaluation elements 25 that the respondents value most can be easily and appropriately identified from their responses. It should be noted that the questions 34 are not limited to those related to multiple evaluation elements 25, and may also include questions unrelated to multiple evaluation elements 25 (not shown in the diagram).

[0093] The number of questions 34 is not particularly limited, as long as it is possible to identify at least one evaluation element 25 that the subject considers important. For example, considering the accuracy of identifying the evaluation element 25 and the subject's response stress, it is preferable to set the number of questions 34 to around 5 to 50.

[0094] The response field 35 shown in Figure 12 can be set as appropriate, provided that the response result 36 of the subject to question 34 can be identified. In this embodiment, a response field 35 that allows for a 5-point scale (Likert scale) response is set. This 5-point scale allows for the selection of one of the following: "strongly agree," "somewhat agree," "neither agree nor disagree," "somewhat disagree," and "strongly disagree." This allows for a detailed understanding of the degree of agreement to question 34 as the response result 36. Note that the response field 35 is not limited to a 5-point scale; for example, it may be set to allow for a 2-point scale, a 3-point scale, or even a non-graded scale (analog scale). The response result 36 for each question 34 (in Figure 12, "somewhat agree") is stored in the response result storage unit 15E shown in Figure 2.

[0095] [Identify evaluation elements based on the response results (specific process)] Next, in the second step S2 of this embodiment, at least one evaluation element 25 (shown in Figure 5) that the subject considers important is identified based on the subject's responses 36 (shown in Figure 12) to a plurality of questions 34 (identification step S22).

[0096] The multiple questions 34 shown in Figure 11 are set in relation to at least one of the multiple evaluation elements 25 shown in Figure 5 (for example, "quality of housework" or "level of achievement of housework"). However, since these questions 34 are answered using a 5-point scale as shown in Figure 12, it is difficult to correlate these responses 36 with the multiple evaluation elements 25. Therefore, it is not easy to identify at least one evaluation element 25 that the subject values ​​from the responses 36 to the multiple questions 34.

[0097] In this embodiment, a second database is used to identify evaluation elements 25 from the answers 36 to a plurality of questions 34. This second database is used to classify the approach to household chores from the answers 36 into one of a plurality of predetermined clusters. Furthermore, each cluster is associated with at least one of the plurality of evaluation elements 25. Therefore, in this embodiment, by identifying a cluster from the answers 36 based on the second database, the evaluation elements 25 associated with that cluster can be identified. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure for the identification step S22.

[0098] [Prepare the computer with the second database entered.] In this embodiment, in a specific step S22, a computer 14 with the second database pre-entered is prepared (step S221). In this embodiment, if a computer 14 (shown in Figure 2) with the second database entered (i.e., the second database stored in the second database storage unit 15B) is already prepared, step S221 may be omitted.

[0099] In step S221 of this embodiment, first, the second database input unit 18A, included in the evaluation element identification unit 18 (program unit 16) shown in Figure 10, is loaded into the working memory 13C shown in Figure 2. The second database input unit 18A is a program for inputting the second database into the computer 14 (second database storage unit 15B) shown in Figure 2. By executing this second database input unit 18A by the calculation unit 13A, the computer 14 can be made to function as a means for inputting the second database.

[0100] The second database is used to classify the responses 36 to the multiple questions 34 shown in Figures 11 and 12 into one of several predetermined clusters based on how people approach household chores.

[0101] [Multiple clusters] Multiple clusters can be set up as appropriate, provided that their approaches to household chores are predetermined. As mentioned above, the multiple questions 34 concern approaches to household chores. It is preferable to administer these multiple questions 34 to the survey participants (i.e., third parties different from the participants) and identify multiple clusters based on the trends in the responses 36 to these questions 34.

[0102] In this embodiment, in order to identify multiple clusters, for example, a known factor analysis is performed on the response results 36 from the survey participants. Through such a factor analysis, multiple factors that are common to the observed variables of how people approach housework can be identified. These multiple factors summarize how people approach housework. Therefore, it is preferable to identify multiple clusters based on these multiple factors. In the factor analysis, for example, the maximum likelihood method may be used as the factor extraction method. Also, for example, Promax rotation may be used as the rotation method.

[0103] The multiple factors include, for example, "family-oriented / insource-oriented" and "particular / perfectionist." However, some of these factors may have few distinguishing features and a small number of corresponding individuals, making it difficult to identify clusters from these factors alone. Therefore, in this embodiment, multiple segments are identified through non-hierarchical cluster analysis targeting multiple factors. These segments are then identified as clusters with predetermined approaches to household chores.

[0104] The multiple clusters in this embodiment include, for example, "those who leverage their strengths and share tasks" and "those who cooperate flexibly." As described above, in this embodiment, multiple questions 34 are asked to multiple survey subjects (in this example, survey subjects who differ in at least some aspects of gender, family structure, and age group), and multiple clusters are identified based on the trends in the response results 36 to those questions 34. This makes it more certain that these multiple clusters include at least one cluster that matches various subjects. It should be noted that the multiple clusters are not limited to the embodiment that includes all of the above, and for example, some of these may be omitted or other clusters may be included depending on the response results 36.

[0105] [Second Database] The second database can be obtained as appropriate if the responses 36 to multiple questions 34 can be classified into multiple clusters. In this embodiment, first, factor loadings are obtained as the strength of the correlation between multiple questions 34 and multiple factors, based on a known procedure.

[0106] Figure 14 shows an example of factor loadings 38 for multiple questions 34 and multiple factors 37. For each question 34, the larger the factor loading 38 value of the factor 37, the stronger its influence on that question (variable) 34. For example, for one of the questions 34, "I want to spend time with my family while doing housework," the factor loading 38 value of one of the factors 37, "Family-oriented / Insource-oriented," is the largest. Also, for one of the questions 34, "I want to do all housework as perfectly as possible without cutting corners," the factor loading 38 value of one of the factors 37, "Attention to detail / Perfectionism," is the largest. In this way, by obtaining factor loadings 38, the strength of the correlation between each of the multiple questions 34 and each factor 37 can be identified.

[0107] In this embodiment, for example, in one of the questions 34, "I want to spend time with my family while doing housework," the factor loadings 38 of each factor 37 are multiplied by the response results 36 from the subjects shown in Figure 12 (i.e., the degree of agreement). An example of the degree of agreement (numerical value) is as follows. Strongly agree: 1.0 Somewhat agree: 0.7 Neither agree nor disagree: 0.5 Not very applicable: 0.2 Completely inapplicable: 0.0

[0108] In one of the questions in Question 34, "I want to spend time with my family while doing housework," the factor 37 with the largest factor loading 38 (strongest correlation) is "Family-oriented / Insource-oriented." Therefore, the greater the degree of agreement with Question 34, the larger the multiplicative value of factor 37, "Family-oriented / Insource-oriented."

[0109] On the other hand, in one of the questions in question 34, "I want to spend time with my family while doing housework," the factor 37 with the smallest factor loading 38 (the weakest correlation) is "attention to detail / perfectionism." Therefore, even if the degree of agreement to question 34 is high, the multiplicative value of factor 37 with "family-oriented / insource-oriented" will be small.

[0110] In this embodiment, for all questions 34, the factor loading 38 of each factor 37 and the product of the degree of agreement are obtained. Furthermore, for each factor 37, the sum of the product values ​​of all questions 34 is obtained. Then, clusters that have a relatively large sum and a high correlation with factor 37 can be identified as the approaches to household chores of subjects who answered multiple questions 34.

[0111] Thus, by obtaining the response results 36 (degree of agreement (numerical value)) to the multiple questions 34 shown in Figure 12, and the factor loadings 38 of the multiple factors 37 shown in Figure 14, it is possible to identify clusters of subjects. Therefore, the "factor loadings 38 of the multiple questions 34 and the multiple factors 37" used to identify clusters can be identified as the second database D2.

[0112] The second database D2 may have a pre-configured discriminant formula (not shown) that automatically identifies clusters of subjects based on the sum of the results 36 (degree of agreement (numerical value)) of the subjects' responses to multiple questions 34 multiplied by the factor loadings 38 of each factor 37. This allows for the easy and quick acquisition of subject clusters.

[0113] In this embodiment, each of the multiple clusters identified using the second database D2 is associated with at least one of the multiple evaluation elements 25 shown in Figure 5. As a result, when a subject's cluster is identified, the subject's evaluation elements 25 can be identified simultaneously.

[0114] The evaluation elements 25 are appropriately linked to multiple clusters. In this embodiment, first, for each survey participant, a cluster is identified based on the results 36 of the answers to multiple questions 34 (shown in Figure 12) and the second database D2 shown in Figure 14. Next, for each survey participant, an evaluation element 25 related to the reason for evaluation (keyword) 24 entered in the second response field 22B shown in Figure 4 is selected from among the multiple evaluation elements 25. Next, for each survey participant, the cluster and the evaluation element 25 are linked. Then, for all survey participants, the number of each evaluation element 25 linked to each cluster is tallied for each cluster. As a result, each of the multiple clusters is linked to an evaluation element 25. Note that if there are multiple linked evaluation elements 25 in each cluster (three or more in this example), the two evaluation elements 25 with the relatively largest number of linked evaluation elements 25 are selected.

[0115] Figure 15 is a radar chart 41 showing the number of each evaluation element 25 associated with each cluster 39. In Figure 15(a), the radar chart 41 of the cluster 39 that "leverages strengths and divides tasks" is shown as a representative example among the multiple clusters 39. In Figure 15(b), the radar chart 41 of the cluster 39 that "cooperates flexibly" is shown as a representative example.

[0116] As shown in Figure 15(a), in cluster 39 of the "those who share responsibilities by leveraging their strengths," all evaluation elements 25 are linked, but among the multiple evaluation elements 25, the number of "achievement level of housework" and "balancing housework with other activities" is relatively large. In this case, the evaluation elements 25 of "achievement level of housework" and "balancing housework with other activities" are linked to cluster 39 of the "those who share responsibilities by leveraging their strengths."

[0117] As shown in Figure 15(b), in cluster 39 of the "flexible and cooperative" group, all evaluation elements 25 are linked, but among the multiple evaluation elements 25, the number of "achievement level of household chores" and "balance of focus on multiple household chores" is relatively large. In this case, the evaluation elements 25 of "achievement level of household chores" and "balance of focus on multiple household chores" are linked to cluster 39 of the "flexible and cooperative" group.

[0118] For the 39 clusters (not shown) other than the "those who leverage their strengths and share tasks" shown in Figure 15(a) and the "those who cooperate flexibly" shown in Figure 15(b), the evaluation elements 25 are linked based on the same procedure.

[0119] Thus, in this embodiment, each of the multiple clusters 39 identified from the second database D2 shown in Figure 14 is associated with at least one (two in this example) of the multiple evaluation elements 25, as shown in Figure 15. As a result, the cluster 39 of the subject can be identified from the subject's responses 36 to the multiple questions 34 shown in Figures 11 and 12, and the evaluation elements 25 associated with that cluster 39 can be identified (estimated) as the evaluation elements 25 that the subject considers important. Therefore, in this embodiment, compared to previous embodiments in which the evaluation elements 25 (shown in Figure 8) were directly identified based on questions (hearings) to the subject, for example, the evaluation elements 25 that various subjects consider important can be identified more easily and appropriately.

[0120] In this embodiment, based on the response results 36 (shown in Figure 12) from multiple survey participants (i.e., third parties different from the participants), multiple clusters 39 shown in Figure 15 and evaluation elements 25 associated with each of the multiple clusters 39 are identified. This allows for the accurate identification of evaluation elements 25 that are important to various participants. The second database D2 and the evaluation elements 25 associated with the multiple clusters 39 are stored in the second database storage unit 15B shown in Figure 2.

[0121] [The process of identifying clusters from the response results] Next, in step S22 of this embodiment, the computer 14 (shown in Figure 2) identifies the subject cluster 39 based on the subject's responses 36 to a plurality of questions 34 and the second database D2 (step S222).

[0122] In step S222 of this embodiment, first, the answer results 36 (shown in Figure 12) stored in the answer result storage unit 15E shown in Figure 2 are loaded into the working memory 13C. Furthermore, the second database D2 (shown in Figure 14) stored in the second database storage unit 15B is loaded into the working memory 13C. Furthermore, the cluster identification unit 18B included in the evaluation element identification unit 18 (program unit 16) shown in Figure 10 is loaded into the working memory 13C. The cluster identification unit 18B is a program for identifying the subject's cluster 39 shown in Figure 15 based on the answer results 36 from the subject to multiple questions 34 and the second database D2. By executing this cluster identification unit 18B by the calculation unit 13A, the computer 14 can function as a means for identifying the subject's cluster 39.

[0123] As shown in Figure 14, the second database D2 of this embodiment consists of factor loadings 38 for multiple questions 34 and multiple factors 37. In this second database D2, the factor loading 38 of each factor 37 is multiplied by the response results 36 from the subjects (i.e., the degree of agreement described above). Then, clusters 39 that have a high correlation with factor 37 with a relatively large total value (for example, "family-oriented / insource-oriented") are identified as the subject clusters 39. The subject clusters 39 are stored in the cluster storage unit 15F shown in Figure 2.

[0124] [Identify evaluation elements linked to the target cluster] Next, in the identification step S22 of this embodiment, the computer 14 (shown in Figure 2) identifies the evaluation elements 25 associated with the cluster 39 of the identified subject (step S223).

[0125] In step S223 of this embodiment, first, the cluster 39 of the target individuals stored in the cluster storage unit 15F shown in Figure 2, and the second database D2 (shown in Figure 14) stored in the second database storage unit 15B are loaded into the working memory 13C. Furthermore, the identification unit 18C included in the evaluation element identification unit 18 (program unit 16) shown in Figure 10 is loaded into the working memory 13C. The identification unit 18C is a program for identifying the evaluation elements 25 (shown in Figure 15) associated with the identified target individuals' cluster 39. By executing this identification unit 18C by the calculation unit 13A, the computer 14 can function as a means for identifying the evaluation elements 25.

[0126] As described above, each of the multiple clusters 39 shown in Figure 15 is associated with at least one (two in this example) of the multiple evaluation elements 25. Then, in process S223, the evaluation elements 25 associated with the subject's cluster 39 (for example, "those who share tasks by utilizing their strengths") are identified (for example, "achievement level of household chores" and "balancing household chores with other activities"). This makes it easier and more appropriate to identify at least one (two in this example) of the multiple evaluation elements 25 shown in Figure 5 that the subject considers important. The identified evaluation elements 25 are stored in the evaluation element storage unit 15C shown in Figure 2.

[0127] In the second step S2 of this embodiment, a cluster 39 (shown in Figure 15) that defines the subject's approach to housework is identified based on the subject's responses 36 to a plurality of questions 34 shown in Figures 11 and 12, and the second database D2 shown in Figure 14. Furthermore, as shown in Figure 15, the evaluation elements 25 associated with the subject's cluster 39 can be identified as the evaluation elements 25 that the subject considers important. Therefore, in the second step S2 of this embodiment, compared to previous embodiments in which the evaluation elements 25 (shown in Figure 8) were directly identified based on questions (hearings) to the subject, for example, various evaluation elements 25 that different subjects consider important can be identified more easily and appropriately.

[0128] [Identify and display design guidelines associated with evaluation elements (Steps 3 and 4)] Next, in the proposed method of this embodiment, as in previous embodiments, at least one design guideline 26 associated with the identified evaluation element (evaluation element that the subject considers important) 25 is identified based on the first database D1 shown in Figure 7 (third step S3). Furthermore, in this embodiment, the design guideline 26 identified in the third step S3 is displayed (fourth step S4).

[0129] Figure 16 shows an example of an output screen 31 of another embodiment of the present invention. In the output screen 31 shown in Figure 16, for individuals belonging to the cluster 39 of "those who share household chores by utilizing their strengths" among several clusters 39 that define approaches to household chores, design guidelines 26 that result in high self-assessment (matching their household chore style) are displayed. As described above, the cluster 39 of "those who share household chores by utilizing their strengths" is linked to "achievement level of household chores" and "balancing household chores with other activities" among several evaluation elements 25. Therefore, design guidelines 26 associated with these evaluation elements 25 are displayed.

[0130] Individuals belonging to cluster 39, the "those who prefer to share tasks by leveraging their strengths," are presumed to place importance on "achievement of household chores" and "balancing household chores with other activities" among the multiple evaluation elements 25. By displaying the design guidelines 26 associated with these evaluation elements 25, design guidelines for floor plans that facilitate household chores, suitable for the above-mentioned individuals, can be proposed quickly and easily.

[0131] In this embodiment, as in previous embodiments, two design guidelines 26 (shown in Figure 7) for improving the self-assessment of "household chore achievement" are displayed in the upper right corner of the output screen 31 shown in Figure 16. To help users understand these design guidelines 26 more concretely, specific examples 28 of the design guidelines and image information 30 of the design guidelines 26 may also be displayed.

[0132] In this embodiment, the subject's cluster 39 and the evaluation elements 25 that the subject considers important may be displayed on the output screen 31 shown in Figure 16. This makes it easy to understand the relationship between the cluster 39 and the evaluation elements 25, as well as the relationship with the design guidelines 26 for improving the self-evaluation of those evaluation elements 25.

[0133] In this embodiment, the cluster 39 of the subjects is displayed in the upper left of the output screen 31 shown in Figure 16. Furthermore, in this embodiment, as in previous embodiments, the evaluation element 25 "achievement level of housework" and the housework behaviors 27 that influence the evaluation element 25 are displayed on the left side of the output screen 31 shown in Figure 16. By displaying such housework behaviors 27, the basis for the design guidelines 26 associated with the evaluation element 25, "achievement level of housework," can be easily grasped. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the evaluation element 25 "balancing housework and non-housework activities" and the housework behaviors 27 that influence the evaluation element 25 are displayed on the left side of the output screen 31 shown in Figure 16. By displaying such housework behaviors 27, the basis for the design guidelines 26 associated with the evaluation element 25, "balancing housework and non-housework activities," can be easily grasped.

[0134] Although particularly preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated embodiments and can be implemented in various modified forms.

[0135] [Note] The present invention includes the following embodiments.

[0136] [Invention 1] A method for proposing housing design guidelines to the target group, The first step involves preparing a computer in which a first database is pre-loaded, which links multiple evaluation elements that serve as criteria for self-evaluating household chores with multiple design guidelines for floor plans that enhance the self-evaluation. A second step involves inputting into the computer at least one evaluation element that the subject considers important from among the multiple evaluation elements, A third step in which the computer identifies at least one design guideline associated with the input evaluation element based on the first database, The computer includes a fourth step of displaying the identified design guidelines, Methods for proposing design guidelines for houses. [Invention 2] The method for proposing design guidelines for a house according to Invention 1, wherein the evaluation elements include at least one element relating to the quality of housework, the degree of achievement of housework, the balance of focus on multiple housework tasks, ingenuity in housework, the balance between housework and non-housework activities, and the division of housework among family members. [Invention 3] The method for proposing design guidelines for a house according to Invention 1 or 2, wherein the design guidelines include textual information and / or image information relating to the floor plan. [4th Invention] The second step is, The process involves asking the aforementioned subjects several questions about their approach to household chores, A method for proposing housing design guidelines according to any one of invention 1 to 3, comprising the step of identifying the evaluation elements based on the results of the responses from the subject to the aforementioned multiple questions. [5th ​​Invention] The step of identifying the aforementioned evaluation elements is: The process involves preparing a computer in which a second database has been pre-entered for classifying the methods of approaching household chores into one of several predetermined clusters based on the aforementioned response results, A method for proposing housing design guidelines according to the present invention, wherein the computer performs the step of identifying the cluster of the subject based on the response result and the second database. [Invention 6] Each of the multiple clusters included in the second database is associated with at least one of the multiple evaluation elements, The method for proposing housing design guidelines according to the present invention, wherein the step of identifying the evaluation elements includes the step of the computer identifying the evaluation elements associated with the identified cluster. [7th Invention] This is a system for proposing housing design guidelines to the target audience. A first database input unit inputs a first database that associates multiple evaluation elements that serve as criteria for self-evaluating household chores with multiple design guidelines for floor plans that enhance the self-evaluation. An evaluation element input unit inputs at least one evaluation element that the subject considers important from among the multiple evaluation elements, A design guideline identification unit identifies at least one design guideline associated with the input evaluation element based on the first database, Includes a display unit that displays the specified design guidelines, A system for proposing design guidelines for houses. [8th Invention] The aforementioned evaluation elements include at least one element relating to the quality of housework, the degree of accomplishment of housework, the balance of focus on multiple housework tasks, ingenuity in housework, the balance between housework and non-housework activities, and the division of housework among family members, as described in Invention 7, for the proposed design guidelines for a house. [Invention 9] The design guidelines include textual information and / or image information relating to the floor plan, as described in invention 7 or 8, for the proposed design guidelines for a house. [Invention 10] The aforementioned evaluation element input unit is, The aforementioned subject group is asked several questions regarding their approach to household chores, A housing design guideline proposal system according to any one of 7 to 9 of the present invention, comprising an evaluation element identification unit that identifies the evaluation elements based on the results of the responses from the subject to the aforementioned multiple questions. [Invention 11] The aforementioned evaluation element identification unit is A second database input unit inputs the results of the aforementioned responses into a second database for classifying the approach to household chores into one of several predetermined clusters, A housing design guideline proposal system according to the present invention 10, comprising: a cluster identification unit that identifies the cluster of the subject based on the above response results and the second database. [Invention 12] Each of the multiple clusters included in the second database is associated with at least one of the multiple evaluation elements, The housing design guideline proposal system according to the present invention 11, wherein the evaluation element identification unit includes an identification unit that identifies the evaluation element associated with the identified cluster. [Explanation of symbols]

[0137] 25 evaluation factors 26 Design guidelines

Claims

1. A method for proposing housing design guidelines to the target group, The first step involves preparing a computer in which a first database is pre-loaded, which links multiple evaluation elements that serve as criteria for self-evaluating household chores with multiple design guidelines for floor plans that enhance the self-evaluation. A second step involves inputting at least one evaluation element that the subject considers important from among the multiple evaluation elements into the computer. The computer then performs a third step of identifying at least one design guideline associated with the input evaluation element based on the first database, The computer includes a fourth step of displaying the identified design guidelines, Methods for proposing design guidelines for houses.

2. The method for proposing design guidelines for a house according to claim 1, wherein the evaluation elements include at least one element relating to the quality of housework, the degree of achievement of housework, the balance of focus on multiple housework tasks, ingenuity in housework, the balance between housework and non-housework activities, and the division of housework among family members.

3. The method for proposing design guidelines for a house according to claim 1, wherein the design guidelines include textual information and / or image information relating to the floor plan.

4. The second step is, The process involves asking the aforementioned subjects several questions about their approach to household chores, A method for proposing housing design guidelines according to claim 1, comprising the step of identifying the evaluation elements based on the results of the responses from the subject to the aforementioned multiple questions.

5. The step of identifying the aforementioned evaluation elements is: The process involves preparing a computer in which a second database is pre-entered for classifying the methods of approaching household chores into one of several predetermined clusters based on the aforementioned response results, A method for proposing housing design guidelines according to claim 4, wherein the computer performs the step of identifying the cluster of the subject based on the response result and the second database.

6. Each of the multiple clusters included in the second database is associated with at least one of the multiple evaluation elements, The method for proposing housing design guidelines according to claim 5, wherein the step of identifying the evaluation elements includes the step of the computer identifying the evaluation elements associated with the identified cluster.

7. This is a system for proposing housing design guidelines to the target audience. A first database input unit inputs a first database that associates multiple evaluation elements that serve as criteria for self-evaluating household chores with multiple design guidelines for floor plans that enhance the self-evaluation. An evaluation element input unit inputs at least one evaluation element that the subject considers important from among the multiple evaluation elements, A design guideline identification unit identifies at least one design guideline associated with the input evaluation element based on the first database, Includes a display unit that displays the specified design guidelines, A system for proposing design guidelines for houses.

8. The proposed system for designing a house according to claim 7, wherein the evaluation elements include at least one element relating to the quality of housework, the degree of achievement of housework, the balance of focus on multiple housework tasks, ingenuity in housework, the balance between housework and non-housework activities, and the division of housework among family members.

9. The design guidelines include textual information and / or image information relating to the floor plan, as described in claim 7, for the proposed design guidelines for a house.

10. The aforementioned evaluation element input unit is, The aforementioned subject group is asked several questions regarding their approach to household chores, A system for proposing housing design guidelines according to claim 7, comprising: an evaluation element identification unit that identifies the evaluation elements based on the results of the responses from the subject to the aforementioned multiple questions.

11. The aforementioned evaluation element identification unit is A second database input unit inputs the results of the aforementioned responses into a second database for classifying the approach to household chores into one of several predetermined clusters, A housing design guideline proposal system according to claim 10, comprising: a cluster identification unit that identifies the cluster of the subject based on the response results and the second database.

12. Each of the multiple clusters included in the second database is associated with at least one of the multiple evaluation elements, The housing design guideline proposal system according to claim 11, wherein the evaluation element identification unit includes an identification unit that identifies the evaluation element associated with the identified cluster.

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