This article presents a characterization model for describing, comparing and improving innovative plant designs based on the core idea of Quality Function Deployment. The presented model supports providers of innovative plants to develop highly customer orientated products, to offer a competitive product portfolio and to create customized solutions. Plant operator's requirements are correlated with design attributes. Radar diagrams visualize requirements attainments and indicate individual strengths and weaknesses of the design. In addition the Degree of Attraction is introduced and specified as a characteristic, comparable performance parameter among innovative plant designs. In order to identify and classify plant operator's requirements a survey in the means of Kano's theory has been conducted. Classified requirements are weighted in order to set up the characterization model. Transformable plant designs are applied in this work as they currently represent a highly discussed example of innovative plants in process industry. As there are several transformable designs in research and practice aiming for different purposes a morphology has been developed in order to be able to define each individual design. Using the morphology for defining design attributes in the model allows a characterization of transformable plants. It is shown that transformable designs lead to highly attractive plants. (C) 2015 Published by Elsevier B.V.