Demystifying aesthetics: An examination of the relationships and effects of emotional design on learner cognitive load and task performance

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships and impacts of perceived aesthetics on the learning experience, specifically cognitive load. The traditional methodology of the instructional design field encompasses the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of instructional processes and products. However, to orient the field toward designing work that engages learners in more meaningful and effective learning, instructional designers must focus on designing experiences, as opposed to simply developing products or processes. Designers must surpass the pedagogical and technical issues of instructional development, only then will the field enter the realm of aesthetics. In this research, aesthetics was defined as those elements of an interactive design that are carefully orchestrated to enhance and heighten the learner experience, as opposed to elements designed merely to satisfy the pedagogical or technical needs of the instructional objectives.;Sixty-six postsecondary American Sign Language (ASL) students were randomly assigned to one of two aesthetic design configurations of a software environment: (1) an environment (A0) with low consideration to aesthetic design (i.e. designed only to provide the utility and usability necessary to complete the tasks), and (2) the same environment (i.e. identical utility, task objectives, and task media) designed with several aesthetic considerations to heighten the learner experience (A1). Participants were asked to complete three ASL assessment tasks and rate their perceptions of the aesthetic design and usability of the system, in addition to the cognitive load (i.e. mental effort, stress, and task demands) they experienced during the instruction. Participants also rated their satisfaction with the design and their willingness to continue using the environment. Voluntary self-assessment times and evaluator scores were captured for each participant.;Findings suggest that aesthetic design not only played an important role in lowering participant cognitive load, but also increased participant satisfaction, willingness to continue use, voluntary self-assessment time, and overall task performance. The results of this study provide practical insights for instructional designers who question the value of aesthetic design in the development of instructional software environments. Qualitative interview data supported these findings and further illustrated the associations between the learner experience and aesthetic design.