Short answer

Consider the subtle psychological impact of aesthetic choices (e.g., stability, material feel, visual cues) when designing for health-related contexts, as these can influence users' intentions and behaviours.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Frontiers in Psychology (2023)
Method: Experimental design with pre-tests and a controlled experiment.
Sample: 121 participants (83 students, 38 orthopedic patients)
Evidence: Mixed findings

The formal-aesthetic and conceptual design of objects can impact users' thoughts, emotions, and behavioural patterns, including intentions for health behaviour change. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Psychology. Using Experimental design with pre-tests and a controlled experiment. with 121 participants (83 students, 38 orthopedic patients), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Consider the subtle psychological impact of aesthetic choices (e.g., stability, material feel, visual cues) when designing for health-related contexts, as these can influence users' intentions and behaviours.

Study

User-Centred DesignRecentMixed findings

Aesthetic design of objects can subtly influence health behaviour intentions

The formal-aesthetic and conceptual design of objects can impact users' thoughts, emotions, and behavioural patterns, including intentions for health behaviour change.

Frontiers in Psychology · 2023

Key Findings

01In a clinical setting, orthopedic patients using a 'positive' prime lectern (steady design) mentioned more sport-related health-promoting activities compared to those using a 'negative' prime lectern.
02No significant differences were found in the university setting, suggesting context-dependent effects or the need for more pronounced design interventions.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When designing spaces or products for healthcare settings, prioritize aesthetic qualities that convey stability, control, and positivity to potentially support patient recovery and health behaviour change.

Project actions

01When designing for health or well-being, think about how the aesthetic qualities of your design might influence the user's mindset.
02Consider using materials, colours, or forms that evoke feelings of stability, control, or positivity.

Method & Evidence

AimTo investigate whether the aesthetic design features of an object can influence users' mental constructs related to health and their intention for health behaviour change.

MethodExperimental design with pre-tests and a controlled experiment.

ProcedureTwo lecterns were designed with differing aesthetic features (material, colour, proportion, steadiness) to act as positive and negative design primes. Participants (students and orthopedic patients) performed an unrelated task while using these lecterns. Their responses to a mentioning task about health-promoting activities were analyzed.

Sample121 participants (83 students, 38 orthopedic patients)

ContextUniversity and clinical rehabilitation settings.

Variables

IVAesthetic design features of the lectern (positive prime vs. negative prime).

DVNumber and proportion of sport-related health-promoting activities mentioned; mental constructs (sense of control, coherence, resiliency, self-efficacy).

CVUnrelated task performed by participants; general setting (university vs. clinical).

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Investigates a novel application of design priming in a health context.
+Uses a controlled experimental design with comparison groups.

Limitations

The effects might be subtle and require specific contexts or user groups to manifest. Measuring behavioural intention is indirect and may not translate to actual behaviour.

Reliability & validity

The study's validity is strengthened by testing in two different settings. Reliability could be improved by using more standardized measures for behavioural intention and by increasing sample sizes to detect smaller effects.

Think critically

To what extent can design alone drive significant health behaviour change, or does it primarily serve to reinforce existing intentions and motivations?

Design Principles

"Design elements can act as psychological primes, influencing user cognition and behaviour."

This research highlights that design is not merely about form and function but can also serve as a powerful tool to influence psychological states and encourage positive health behaviours. Designers can leverage aesthetic elements to create environments or products that subtly guide users towards healthier choices.

What This Means for Your Design

The way something looks and feels can actually change how people think about being healthy and what they intend to do about it.

How to use in your project

1.Use this research to justify design choices aimed at influencing user behaviour or psychological states, especially in health-related projects.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This study by Rehn et al. (2023) demonstrates that the aesthetic design of objects can influence users' intentions for health behaviour change. By designing objects as 'primes,' researchers found that subtle differences in form and material could lead to variations in how participants, particularly orthopedic patients, discussed health-promoting activities, suggesting that design can be a tool to foster positive health-related psychological states.

Source

Frontiers in Psychology

A process to foster pathology-related effects of design primes – how orthopedic patients might benefit from design features that influence health behaviour intention

journal · 2023

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about aesthetic design of objects can subtly influence health behaviour intentions?: Consider the subtle psychological impact of aesthetic choices (e.g., stability, material feel, visual cues) when designing for health-related contexts, as these can influence users' intentions and behaviours. Evidence: Frontiers in Psychology (2023).
Why does "Aesthetic design of objects can subtly influence health behaviour intentions" matter for design?: This research highlights that design is not merely about form and function but can also serve as a powerful tool to influence psychological states and encourage positive health behaviours. Designers can leverage aesthetic elements to create environments or products that subtly guide users towards healthier choices.
How can designers apply this research?: Consider the subtle psychological impact of aesthetic choices (e.g., stability, material feel, visual cues) when designing for health-related contexts, as these can influence users' intentions and behaviours.
What were the main findings?: In a clinical setting, orthopedic patients using a 'positive' prime lectern (steady design) mentioned more sport-related health-promoting activities compared to those using a 'negative' prime lectern.. No significant differences were found in the university setting, suggesting context-dependent effects or the need for more pronounced design interventions.
What research method was used?: Experimental design with pre-tests and a controlled experiment. with 121 participants (83 students, 38 orthopedic patients).
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Mixed findings, based on a 2023 journal from Frontiers in Psychology.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When designing spaces or products for healthcare settings, prioritize aesthetic qualities that convey stability, control, and positivity to potentially support patient recovery and health behaviour change.
What are the limitations?: The effect sizes were small, and significant differences were not consistently found across all settings and measures. The 'unrelated task' might not have been sufficiently engaging to elicit strong priming effects.