Interface Lab

Smartphone App Aesthetics Influence Users' Experience and Performance

Tests how smartphone web-app aesthetics affect user experience and task performance.
Perrig et al. (2023)Journaldoi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1113842

Citation

Perrig, S. A. C., Ueffing, D., Opwis, K., & Brühlmann, F. (2023). Smartphone App Aesthetics Influence Users' Experience and Performance. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, 1113842.

Method

Online experiment with 281 participants and two differently styled versions of the same web app.

Claims used

  • The more aesthetically designed version was rated more usable and more beautiful.
  • Results suggested more correct answers for the aesthetic version, but the abstract described a direction rather than a conclusive effect.

Limitations: One application and two variants; tasks involved answering questions about its content.

Extracted principles

  • Aesthetics affect perceived usabilityNot tested

    An interface perceived as beautiful may also be rated easier to use regardless of actual usability, which must therefore be measured rather than merely asked about.

Project presentation