The aesthetic-usability effect describes a phenomenon in which people perceive more-aesthetic designs as easier to use than less-aesthetic designs—whether they are or not(Lidwell & Holden, 2003). The effect has been observed in several experiments and has significant implications regarding the acceptance, use, and performance of a design. A similar phenomenon is well documented with regard to human attractiveness—first impressions of people influence attitude formation and measurably affect how people are perceived and treated.
Aesthetics plays an important role in the way a design is used. Aesthetic designs are more effective at fostering positive attitudes than unaesthetic designs, and make people more tolerant of minor usability issues when they find an interface visually appealing(Moran, 2017). Positive relationships with a design result in an interaction that helps catalyse creative thinking and problem-solving. Negative relationships result in an interaction that narrows thinking and stifles creativity.
According to the research, that participant using the highly appealing phone rated their appliance as being more usable than participants operating the unappealing model. Furthermore, the visual appearance of the phone had a positive effect on performance, leading to reduced task completion times for the attractive model(Soderegger & Sauer, 2010).
According to Nikolov (2017), not long ago the user was expecting only functional and usable products when they were buying. Today, users expectations have evolved together with the design field. People expect usability by default and are seeking products that are more than functional and usable. Most products of the same kind and price have very similar functions, so the appearance plays a very important role in deciding which product to buy.
References:
Moran, K. (2017). The Aesthetic-Usability Effect. Retrieved from https://www.nngroup.com/articles/aesthetic-usability-effect/
Sonderegger, A., & Sauer, J. (2010). The influence of design aesthetics in usability testing: Effects on user performance and perceived usability. Applied Ergonomics, 41(3), 403-403.
Nikolov, A. (2017). Design principle: Aesthetics – UX Collective. Retrieved from https://uxdesign.cc/design-principle-aesthetics-af926f8f86fe
Lidwell, W., Holden, K.,& Butler, J.(2003). Aesthetic-Usability Effect. In Universal Principles of Design (pp.18-19). Massachusetts: Rockport.
Huaiyuan Liu CCA1103 