Summary: | 碩士 === 國立交通大學 === 傳播研究所 === 93 === The argument between functionality and form in the field of interface design mainly concerns these two issues: “Ease to use” and “Joy to use”. “Ease to use” represents the objective values of product functions; “Joy to use” relates to subjective feelings. Earlier HCI researchers focused on the usability issues in terms of efficiency and functionality. The drawback is that designers might easily neglect the forms and aesthetics of products which affect users’ experiences and emotion. Up to date, researchers have been prompted to pay more attention toward formative and subjective issues, such as aesthetics and emotion.
The purpose of the present study is to investigate the interface design of e-commerce websites from aesthetics and usability perspectives. The assumption is that, aside from usability, aesthetics (emotional factor) could also positively influence users’ perceptions and behaviors. In other words, the degree of attractive interface layouts might be able to affect users to perceive the usability of an e-commerce website.
One of the results showed that, in aspect of user’s behavioral performance, inherent usability is an influential factor. Also, this study proved that aesthetics will affect user satisfaction and emotion. Moreover, the findings revealed that rather than expressed negative emotion like low-aesthetic groups, high- aesthetic groups tended to evoke positive emotion.
Conclusively, usability test should consider taking mental and emotional factors (e.g. aesthetics) into account. Applying aesthetic factors into the interface design of e-commerce websites will benefit consumers’ initial impression as well as increases their shopping motivations and efficiency.
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