TY - JOUR
T1 - Unity in Variety in website aesthetics
T2 - A systematic inquiry
AU - Post, Ruben
AU - Nguyen, Tran
AU - Hekkert, Paul
N1 - Accepted Author Manuscript
PY - 2017/7/1
Y1 - 2017/7/1
N2 - This research experimentally investigates whether Unity-in- Variety can account for the aesthetic appreciation of websites. In a first study we designed two sets of web pages, differing in layout style and content, to systematically and independently vary on both unity and variety via the design factors contrast and symmetry (for unity) and dissimilarity of elements and colourfulness (for variety). It was demonstrated that only the sets based on symmetry and colourfulness resulted in independent manipulations of unity and variety, respectively. These two sets of web pages were tested in Study 2 showing that, as predicted, both unity and variety independently and positively influence aesthetic appreciation. Following the principle of Unity-in-Variety, simultaneously maximizing unity and variety leads to an optimal balance where aesthetic appreciation is highest. Our research lends further support to the principle of Unity-in-Variety, extends it to the domain of HCI, and provides directions on how to purposefully design for an optimal balance between unity and variety.
AB - This research experimentally investigates whether Unity-in- Variety can account for the aesthetic appreciation of websites. In a first study we designed two sets of web pages, differing in layout style and content, to systematically and independently vary on both unity and variety via the design factors contrast and symmetry (for unity) and dissimilarity of elements and colourfulness (for variety). It was demonstrated that only the sets based on symmetry and colourfulness resulted in independent manipulations of unity and variety, respectively. These two sets of web pages were tested in Study 2 showing that, as predicted, both unity and variety independently and positively influence aesthetic appreciation. Following the principle of Unity-in-Variety, simultaneously maximizing unity and variety leads to an optimal balance where aesthetic appreciation is highest. Our research lends further support to the principle of Unity-in-Variety, extends it to the domain of HCI, and provides directions on how to purposefully design for an optimal balance between unity and variety.
KW - Beauty
KW - Design principles
KW - Interfaces
KW - Unity
KW - Variety
KW - Website aesthetics
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85013792101&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1d9ba660-9978-4951-9fe0-1c753ba89908
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2017.02.003
DO - 10.1016/j.ijhcs.2017.02.003
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85013792101
VL - 103
SP - 48
EP - 62
JO - International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
JF - International Journal of Human-Computer Studies
SN - 1071-5819
ER -