Adapting the semantic discontinuity detection method to interior design processes: an approach to improve user involvement and designer–user communication

Abstract

In contemporary design processes, a primary goal is to create a coherent alignment between users’ expectations and the design solutions proposed by professionals. Despite designers’ best efforts to address user needs, communication gaps often occur, resulting in inconsistencies between the experiences designers intend to create and the perceptions users ultimately form. To tackle this ongoing challenge, this study introduces a communication-driven methodological framework that enhances user participation and systematically integrates user feedback into the design process. The proposed method builds upon the Semantic Discontinuity Detection (SDD) framework and combines both qualitative and quantitative user evaluations to identify, interpret, and resolve mismatches between design intent and user experience. The framework operates iteratively, allowing designers to incorporate user assessments at successive design stages and revise proposals based on identified “semantic discontinuities”, the differences between what designers express and what users perceive. Additionally, the method utilizes virtual reality (VR) simulations as a communicative and diagnostic tool, facilitating immersive user participation and providing more accurate feedback on spatial impressions. Through iterative refinement, discontinuity maps are generated and communicated back to designers, guiding them toward improved alignment between conceptual objectives and experiential outcomes. The findings indicate that a communication-centered approach not only reduces experience-related inconsistencies but also strengthens user engagement and fosters more meaningful design dialogues. As a result, this study demonstrates that integrating structured user feedback loops and VR-based evaluation tools into the design process leads to more responsive, user-aligned, and experientially coherent interior design outcomes.