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It’s Ugly, That’s Why It Works Beautifully: An Exploratory Study Using Design Strategies to Violate Aesthetic Principles as Means to Influence Usage Behaviors

Author
Welgoss, Bethany
Abstract
This thesis explores how aesthetic violation can be used to influence a user’s behavior when interacting with a product. Aesthetic violation occurs when the elements of a design purposely deviate from the aesthetic expectations of the user in order to encourage a behavioral response. This draws from the theory of processing fluency, which suggests that aesthetic perceptions are a function of a perceiver’s processing dynamics—-the more fluently a perceiver can process an object, the higher the aesthetic response. In this instance, the desire for fluent processing may incite users to escape, minimize, or counteract the violation. A literature review and two workshops were conducted: (1) to generate design strategies and (2) to assess and refine them. The workshops provided insights into the benefits and relevance of aesthetic violation, strategy formation, and integration into the design process.
Description
59 pages Supplemental file(s) description: None.
Date Issued
2021-08Subject
Behavior Change; Design Aesthetics; Design Strategy; Human-centered design; Sustainability; User Experience
Committee Chair
Yoon, Jay
Committee Member
Thomas, Manoj
Degree Discipline
Design and Environmental Analysis
Degree Name
M.A., Design and Environmental Analysis
Degree Level
Master of Arts
Rights
Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International
Type
dissertation or thesis
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International