Exploring tea-ware design strategies: a sensibility theory and SEM analysis

This paper employs structural equation modelling (SEM) to quantitatively analyse users as the research subjects in the current design of Chinese tea ware, which faces issues such as severe appearance homogenization and a lack of cultural connotation. Based on this, we integrate sensibility theory into tea ware design to arouse deep emotional resonance between users and the unique cultural attributes of tea ware. This integration aims to realize a new tea-drinking experience. Several issues related to the characteristics of tea ware contribute to establishing a hierarchical framework for tea wares. Taking the inheritance of tea-drinking culture, the reshaping of the tea-drinking experience, and the satisfaction of users' emotional needs as the starting point, quantitative methods have been employed to emphasize objective measurements and the statistical analysis of data collected through polls, questionnaires, or computational techniques (e.g., analysing pre-existing statistical data). The results highlight the influence of users' sensibility and emotional identity on design feedback and strategies throughout the process from selecting tea wares to tea drinking. The study further suggests that "to optimize the outcomes, cultural identity should be integrated with users' emotional identity, and factors influencing the design strategy should be deeply examined within the context of tea culture." However, limitations exist due to the reliance on quantitative methods.