Self-study
Car companies solicit consumer information on such human factors as whether a seat is comfortable or whether a set of controls is easy to use. However, designer interaction with consumers is superior to survey data; the data may tell the designer why a feature on last year's model was given a low rating, but data will not explain how that feature needs to be changed in order to receive a higher rating.
24.
The reasoning above conforms most closely to which one of the following propositions?
a
Getting consumer input for design modifications can contribute to successful product design.
In other words, consumer input for design modifications is useful to car companies—meaning consumer interaction offers some useful information that surveys cannot. This matches the assumption made in the argument and bridges the gap from premise to conclusion.
b
Car companies traditionally conduct extensive postmarket surveys.
Nothing in the argument relates to the idea that car companies “traditionally” conduct “extensive” surveys—the argument is just focused on consumer interaction data being more useful than survey data.
c
Designers aim to create features that will appeal to specific market niches.
Who designers are trying to appeal to is irrelevant to the argument’s claim that consumer interaction provides better market data than do surveys.
d
A car will have unappealing features if consumers are not consulted during its design stage.
This is irrelevant, because the argument has no question of whether or not to consult consumers—either one of consumer interaction or surveys could reasonable count as “consultation.”
e
Consumer input affects external rather than internal design components of cars.
The argument never makes a distinction between internal and external design components, so this is irrelevant.