Towards A Better Understanding Of The Influence Of Visual References On Consumer Aesthetic Perception

doi:10.1017/pds.2023.358

Study

Innovation & MarketsRecentModerate effect

Visual References Shape Consumer Aesthetic Perception and Processing Fluency

Consumers' initial aesthetic judgments of new products are significantly influenced by their pre-existing mental images of similar products and concepts, impacting how easily they process the new offering.

Proceedings of the Design Society · 2023

01

Key Findings

01Consumer aesthetic perception is heavily reliant on internal visual references.
02The alignment between a new product's design and a consumer's visual references impacts processing fluency.
03A gap can exist between designer intent and consumer interpretation due to differing visual reference sets.

02

Application

Design takeaway

Designers must actively research and consider the visual landscape their target consumers inhabit, using this knowledge to inform product aesthetics and communication to enhance positive reception.

How to apply

Conduct market research to identify dominant visual archetypes and competitor product aesthetics that consumers are likely familiar with. Then, design products that either align with these archetypes for familiarity or offer a novel interpretation to stand out.

Project actions

01When researching your target audience, ask about products or styles they find appealing and why.
02Consider how your design might remind users of existing products, and whether that's a good or bad thing for your project.

03

Method & Evidence

AimHow do consumers' pre-existing visual references influence their aesthetic perception and processing fluency when encountering a new product?

MethodCognitive analysis framework

ProcedureThe research proposes a framework to analyze the cognitive processes involved when consumers identify similarities between a new product and their internal visual references, examining how this recognition affects processing fluency.

ContextConsumer product perception and design strategy

Variables

IVPresence and type of visual references (internal/external)

DVAesthetic perception, processing fluency

CVProduct characteristics, consumer demographics

04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Highlights the cognitive underpinnings of aesthetic perception.
+Provides a framework for analyzing user responses beyond simple preference.

Limitations

It's hard to know exactly what visual references every single user has in their mind, so your assumptions might not apply to everyone.

Reliability & validity

The validity of the findings depends on the accuracy of the proposed cognitive framework and the methods used to elicit and analyze consumer responses to visual references.

Think critically

To what extent can designers truly control or predict the visual references a consumer brings to an interaction, and what are the ethical implications of manipulating these references?

05

Design Principles

"Leverage established visual schemas to enhance product familiarity and positive aesthetic reception, or strategically diverge to create novelty and disruption."

Understanding the role of visual references is crucial for designers aiming to create products that resonate with target audiences. When a product's visual cues align with a consumer's established mental models, it leads to smoother cognitive processing and potentially more positive aesthetic evaluations.

06

What This Means for Your Design

When people see a new product, they compare it to other things they already know in their head. If it looks familiar and easy to understand, they tend to like it more.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify your design choices by explaining how they align with or diverge from common visual references in the market.

07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

(2023). TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE INFLUENCE OF VISUAL REFERENCES ON CONSUMER AESTHETIC PERCEPTION. Proceedings of the Design Society. https://doi.org/10.1017/pds.2023.358 Retrieved from https://designdex.org/study/74827bb5-8a5b-45b9-89e1-1e2fff97a10b/visual-references-shape-consumer-aesthetic-perception-and-processing-fluency

Paragraph starter

The aesthetic perception of new products is significantly shaped by consumers' pre-existing visual references, influencing processing fluency and overall reception. Understanding these mental models allows designers to create products that either leverage familiarity for easier adoption or strategically introduce novelty to capture attention.

09

Source

Proceedings of the Design Society

TOWARDS A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE INFLUENCE OF VISUAL REFERENCES ON CONSUMER AESTHETIC PERCEPTION

journal · 2023

View source

Questions about this research

What does the research say about visual references shape consumer aesthetic perception and processing fluency?: Designers must actively research and consider the visual landscape their target consumers inhabit, using this knowledge to inform product aesthetics and communication to enhance positive reception. Evidence: Proceedings of the Design Society (2023).
Why does "Visual References Shape Consumer Aesthetic Perception and Processing Fluency" matter for design?: Understanding the role of visual references is crucial for designers aiming to create products that resonate with target audiences. When a product's visual cues align with a consumer's established mental models, it leads to smoother cognitive processing and potentially more positive aesthetic evaluations.
How can designers apply this research?: Designers must actively research and consider the visual landscape their target consumers inhabit, using this knowledge to inform product aesthetics and communication to enhance positive reception.
What were the main findings?: Consumer aesthetic perception is heavily reliant on internal visual references.. The alignment between a new product's design and a consumer's visual references impacts processing fluency.. A gap can exist between designer intent and consumer interpretation due to differing visual reference sets.
What research method was used?: Cognitive analysis framework.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from Proceedings of the Design Society.
What should I do differently in my next project?: Conduct market research to identify dominant visual archetypes and competitor product aesthetics that consumers are likely familiar with. Then, design products that either align with these archetypes for familiarity or offer a novel interpretation to stand out.
What are the limitations?: Individual differences in visual references make universal prediction challenging; the framework focuses on cognitive processes rather than direct measurement of aesthetic preference.
Is there evidence that visual references affects design outcomes?: Consumers judge new products based on their existing mental library of similar items, and how easily they can 'fit' a new product into that library affects their overall impression. Understanding the role of visual references is crucial for designers aiming to create products that resonate with target audiences. When a Source: Proceedings of the Design Society (2023).
Where does this consumer aesthetic research apply?: Consumer product perception and design strategy It sits within innovation & markets research on designdex.org.