Kano model: categories, survey questions, and analysis

The Kano model classifies features by how their presence and absence affect satisfaction. It distinguishes expected basics from performance improvements and potential delighters.

What is the Kano model?

Developed by Noriaki Kano and colleagues, the model explains why adding a feature does not always increase satisfaction. A missing basic can frustrate people; delivering it may simply meet expectations. An unexpected extra can please them without being essential.

What are the five Kano categories?

Categories depend on the audience and context. A delighter can become an expected basic as the market changes.

What questions does a Kano survey ask?

1. If this feature were present, how would you feel?
2. If this feature were absent, how would you feel?

For each, offer five answers: I would like it; I expect it; I am neutral; I can live with it; I would dislike it. Keep the feature description identical in both questions. “Email a PDF report every Monday” is easier to assess than “better reporting.”

The answer pair maps to a Kano evaluation table. Contradictory pairs may be classified as questionable and deserve review.

How do you analyze Kano results?

Show the category distribution, including reverse and questionable responses. A narrow lead for one category is weaker evidence than broad agreement.

Satisfaction coefficients use A = attractive, O = one-dimensional, M = must-be, and I = indifferent:

• Better: (A + O) ÷ (A + O + M + I)
• Worse: −(O + M) ÷ (A + O + M + I)

Better approaches 1 as satisfaction upside increases; Worse approaches −1 as the downside of absence increases. Report excluded reverse and questionable counts. If the denominator is zero, the coefficients are undefined.

A Kano example

These illustrative results suggest different next steps:

Check whether export is a baseline need, how much reporting performance users need, and whether suggested insights justify the effort.

How should Kano inform your roadmap?

Address missing basics, choose a useful performance level, and test delighters against their cost. Investigate indifferent or reverse results before discarding an idea: different customer groups may have different needs. Add effort, strategy, risk, and accessibility to the decision.

Use MaxDiff for relative rankings or conjoint analysis for feature-and-price trade-offs.

What should you avoid?

Vague features, changed wording between paired questions, and long backlogs create confusion or fatigue. Pilot both questions. Report the sample and field dates, and avoid drawing firm conclusions from small groups.

How does Kano work in SenseFolks?

FeaturePriority starts every survey with Kano. Depending on the features that advance, it continues with MaxDiff and pairwise comparisons. There is no separate Kano method selector. Enter a focused feature list and pilot the full survey with your audience.

Frequently asked questions