In the present study, the subjective evaluation experiment for abstract 3D shapes was conducted as the first step of construction of a system that allows non-design-professional users to design 3D shapes via subjective evaluation words intuitively. In particular, the structure of the subjective evaluation for 3D shapes and the reliability of the evaluation by non-design-professionals were examined. The results showed three-factor solution in which “Uniformity,” “Activity” and “Potency” factors were important evaluative standards in the subjective evaluation for 3D shapes. These factors are similar to Osgood's three factors, which were frequently reported factors in previous semantic differential studies. Furthermore, the subjective evaluations by non-design-professionals were generally consistent, which means that, with respect to the subjective evaluation, non-design-professionals without high level of design skills can evaluate 3D shapes in a reliable way.
