Have you ever wondered why you find one website more appealing than another? A set of interviews by Moshagen & Thielsch in 2010 entitled ‘Visual Aesthetics of Website Inventory (VisAWI)’ showed there were four key facets which played an important role in the make up of websites:
Simplicity
E.g. Everything goes together on this site. The layout is easy to grasp.
(The layout appears too dense. The site appears patchy.)Diversity
E.g. The layout is pleasantly varied. The layout is inventive. The layout appears dynamic.
(The design appears uninspired. The design is uninteresting.)Colourfulness
E.g. The colour composition is attractive. The colours are appealing.
(The colors do not match. The choice of colours is botched. )Craftsmanship
E.g. The layout appears professionally designed. The site is designed with care.
(The layout is not up-to-date. The design of the site lacks a concept.)
From a business perspective other things worth considering are how interesting and informative the content is, and on an e-commerce website in particular, whether the site is seen to be trustworthy.
Bearing these factors in mind whilst designing a site can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful project.
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