Design + Aesthetics
Aesthetic appeal concerns the overall appearance of an application. It is important from the word go. It can determine users' opinions of your application, and whether they like it or not. Aesthetics has several aspects in application design. It serves as a motivational factor as well as an organizational factor. Both factors contribute to efficiency.
“Aesthetics is the Killer App”
- Wired Magazine, July 2003 p.97
Motivation
People consider aesthetics as a basic need. They like to work in environments that meet at least basic aesthetical requirements. They dislike ugly environments. As a result, they are more motivated and perform better if their aesthetic needs are met.
Trust
Though trust is more a psychological issue, it is nonetheless very important for the relationships between users and the software they use. This is especially true on the Web. A high quality visual design builds up trust in an application while a dull, and even more a flawed, visual design reduces trust. This phenomenon can also be applied to other aspects of interface design, such as terminology and errors.
Organization
Though it is still unclear which factors lead to an aesthetic design, or how to measure aesthetics, it is well established that an aesthetic design is usually better organized than an unaesthetic one. A better organized spatial layout of screen elements helps people to find information or functions easier and faster, thus leading to a better performance.
