Is Design about Aesthetics or Usability?
- Vitika Green
- Apr 29, 2022
- 4 min read
Updated: Jul 15, 2022
Of course, a beautiful site attracts attention. But will you use it if navigating and searching for information are extremely inconvenient on it?
Designers believe that usability is more important than aesthetics, but they often show precisely the opposite in their work. Trying to make the site more beautiful, they forget about the convenience of its use. This also applies to customers who want to get a user-friendly site, but often evaluate it solely from an aesthetic point of view.
So what is it about: a collective misconception to deconstruct, or is it still possible to find a connection between aesthetics and usability?
I/ The relationship between aesthetics and usability
Frida Linghammar's research aims to test this hypothesis: Do aesthetics (in the form of visual beauty) feel more user-friendly?
The experiment involved 40 students from the IT University in Gothenburg, who had to complete 8 tasks on two sites. The bottom line is that these sites were equally easy to use and differed only in visual attractiveness (attractive and less attractive).
As a result, for 100% of the participants, an attractive interface seemed more usable. It appears to our mind that the more beautiful is a site, the more user-friendly it seems to be.
In his research, A. Tuch wanted to prove the opposite: is it true that user-friendly sites seem more aesthetically attractive to users? The experiment involved 80 subjects, whose task was:
evaluate the aesthetics and usability of the online store;
find a specific product on the site;
re-evaluate the aesthetics and usability of this store.
As a result, if at the beginning of the experiment, users highly appreciated the aesthetic component of the site, then after interacting with it, they, on the contrary, lowered its rating. Those. it seems to our minds that the more inconvenient the site, the less beautiful it is.
Aesthetics affects the user's perception of the Usability of a site. So, of two equally user-friendly sites, the one that is more beautiful will seem more usable to the user. But Usability also influences the user's perception of a site's aesthetics. And the more usable a site is, the more beautiful it will seem to the user.
II/ What is the more important : Usability or Aesthetics ?
Ali Türkilmaz, in her research work, studied the question: "What do users consider more important in the interface: aesthetics or functionality?". The study was conducted in the form of a survey in which 41 people took part. The subjects had to rank the site evaluation criteria related to aesthetics and usability in order of importance.
The results showed that aesthetics turned out to be slightly more important for users than functionality. But that doesn't mean functionality isn't important at all. In fact, at the subconscious level of a person, it is as important as aesthetics, as it plays an essential role in decision making and user satisfaction.
In a study by an American University (Arizona), the question was asked: "Does animation speed affect the enjoyment of use?". 3 prototypes of the site were developed, on which the participants had to complete the order, with different animation speeds: 0 ms, 300 ms and 650 ms. The results revealed that 68% of the participants did not find a significant difference between the 3 speeds and did not determine which prototype was preferable for them. Animation did not affect the pleasure of interacting with the site. Only 27% said that animated prototypes at medium speed were "smoother". Kusum Ijari: "Understanding the effect of animation and its consequences. Speed on consumer delight”, 2019
A study from the University of Finland tested a hypothesis: Do animated transitions affect user experience in real-time and perspective? The participants evaluated 2 sites: a site with many animated transitions versus a site without these effects. Study results: For the user, there were no differences between the two. Using animated transitions did not help to improve the perceived UX. The difference between the sites was not statistically significant: an animated site - 69 b, without animations - 57 b. Sampo Noponen: “Are memories consistent with experience? Studying the Time Aspects of UX Site Hedonism, 2019
The site can perform its functions without the use of animated elements. Before implementing them into your site, analyze for what purpose you need it. Animation for the sake of animation will only negatively impact users.
III/ Resume
Moving web elements can add visual interest to a site, but only if they are used in small numbers and inappropriate places. It is important to be able to maintain this balance. As soon as animations start appearing everywhere, they already annoy and disorientate the user. An animated site and one without adding animation work equally well. Adding this effect does not affect the user much. He cares about convenience and content, not your skills in applying animations. Animated web elements are good for:
When there are few of them, and they do not interfere with the user
When they have a clear purpose
Web animations add that extra visually appealing layer to any digital design. With the way the digital world is constantly shifting and progressing, animations offer an engaging edge. There are many opportunities to make animations unique to a brand image, as the possibilities are endless.
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