A Visual Analysis To Distinguish Websites' Indicators Of Aesthetic Appeal

This study explored visual indications of gaze that might distinguish the perceived aesthetic appeal of web pages to users and how these indications differ between cultures.44 participants consisting of Chinese and Northern European students viewed40 images of websites,then were surveyed to rate each image as either good or bad.The images were rated by percent of approval and ranked,then analyzed with cluster maps,heatmaps and gazeplots.The results suggest that on images of higher aesthetic appeal,the orientation of people's collective gaze lands on the same layout elements and groupings,indicating an agreement on what elements and groups form a layout.There were differences in how the two test groups oriented themselves in viewing the pages,particularly on images of lower aesthetic appeal where more variance could be observed.Northern European participants tended towards horizontal and vertical movements,while Chinese participants tended towards circular or round movements.However,it is not clear if these orientations are evidence of the differences in cognition,such as analytical and holistic thinking.