Title: Users' perceptions of usability and aesthetics as criteria of pre- and post-use preferences

Authors: Sangwon Lee; Richard J. Koubek

Addresses: The Harold and Inge Marcus Department of Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 343 Leonhard Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA. ' College of Engineering, The Louisiana State University, 3304 Patrick F. Taylor Hall, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA

Abstract: This study focuses on a better understanding of user preferences based on perceived usability and perceived aesthetics. For this, previous studies on the relationships among perceived usability, perceived aesthetics, user performance and user preference are reviewed with the consideration of occurrence of actual use, and their findings are summarised and analysed in terms of relationships of interest, variable measurements, experimental domains, participant types, usability/aesthetics manipulations, and performance measures. The study also considers possible reasons of conflicting findings for the relationship between perceived usability and perceived aesthetics after actual use. A conceptual model for user preferences is constructed to show the processes of users' preference-making before and during/after actual use and to emphasise mutual influences and feedback loops in user experience. Finally, several suggestions for future research are made to confirm or clarify existing findings by considering various influential factors. [Received: 09 October 2009; Accepted: 21 July 2010]

Keywords: user preferences; perceived usability; perceived aesthetics; user performance; computer-based applications; user perceptions.

DOI: 10.1504/EJIE.2012.044812

European Journal of Industrial Engineering, 2012 Vol.6 No.1, pp.87 - 117

Published online: 10 Sep 2014 *

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