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Jun Niimi
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How can we find the perceptual ‘goldilocks zone’?
A product should not taste or smell too strongly, nor too weakly. It might need to be strong without feeling overly stiff, or feel soft without feeling like it might fall apart. In these instances, less can be more - up to a point. How can we find that point?
Understanding how much and why a product or material is liked or disliked is (of course) important. Sometimes it is just as important to know whether consumers experience it as having too much or too little of some attribute (flavor intensity, roughness etc.) In these instances, simply rating 'best' or 'worst' is inefficient, and other techniques are preferred
Here, we need assessments to indicate how close the product is to the ‘goldilocks zone’, i.e. where it is experienced as ‘just-about-right’. These goldilocks zone experiences are typically those consumers appreciate most.
Knowing which side of the goldilocks zone consumers are less deterred by supports quality control by highlighting where flexibility can be permitted sensorially and which directions could lead to highly detrimental sensory experiences and should thus be avoided.
Just-about-right investigations are typically highly targeted to sensory experiences of specific interest, reducing pressure on consumers and pinpointing their most critical experiences. It is also possible to identify the range within which consumers agree that the experience is ‘just-about-right’, and conversely, when and why the experience is too strong (or too weak).
