Visual Product Aesthetics Research Articles

Happiness or not? Impacts of multi-stage consumption on the consumer affective response in the use of aesthetic foods

PurposeThis study examines the influence of Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics (CVPA) on multi-stage food consumption and emotions under aesthetic disruption, assessing how CVPA affects consumption and whether food aesthetics moderate these behaviours and emotional responses.Design/methodology/approachData were collected using qualitative interviews and quantitative experimental designs, employing a moderated mediation model for statistical analysis.FindingsConsumers with higher CVPA are more likely to adopt multi-stage consumption for higher aesthetic food, generating greater positive emotions, both in personal experiences and when viewing food bloggers' posts.Originality/valueThis study introduces the novel concept of “multi-stage consumption” and investigates its origins and outcomes.

The role of aesthetics in tourist satisfaction in the Ghanaian hospitality industry

PurposeThe study examines the role of aesthetics in tourist satisfaction in the Ghanaian hospitality industry. Design/methodology/approachThe study is quantitative and cross-sectional in nature. A total of 5 tourist destinations and 350 tourists were selected using purposive sampling technique. Data for the study was gathered using self-reported questionnaires and analysed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). A total of 300 retrieved questionnaires representing 85.7 % of response rate was used for data analysis. FindingsThe study results proved that the three main types of aesthetics that influence tourists' visitation to tourist destinations are visual product aesthetics, package aesthetics and taste aesthetics. The study also discovered that visual product aesthetics, package aesthetics and taste aesthetics had significant positive correlations with tourist satisfaction. Again, the results established that, aesthetic types (visual product aesthetics and package aesthetics) have significant positive impact on tourists' satisfaction whereas taste aesthetics has a negative effect on tourists’ satisfaction. Research limitations/implicationsThe Ghanaian hospitality sector should push creativity to new heights by ensuring that venues change their appearance and ambiance through the use of creative lights, music, and food setups, so as to often attract consumers and offer them a completely unique experience each time. The hospitality sector also need to provide more effective and dependable channels for user complaints, recommendations, and contributions, as well as consumer feedback systems. Originality/valueThe study adds to literature on aesthetics and tourist satisfaction as well as contributes to the agenda towards tourist destination sustainability.

Extending the Construct of Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics

The concept of Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics (CVPA) and the associated construct were introduced to measure the level of significance that product design has for certain consumers. The aim was that, after identifying consumers with high CVPA, designers and manufacturers can successfully address to them products with a remarkable design. The initial construct proposed by other researchers was composed by three factors (Value, Acumen and Response). The author of this paper aimed to amplify the construct and tested a new construct containing four additional new factors: Brand Loyalty, Product Involvement, Personality Congruence and Price indifference. After applying Exploratory Factor Analysis, it was found that practically the Value and Brand Loyalty items were part of the same factor. The same situation was encountered for Response and Personality Congruence. After removing the less significant items, a new construct resulted, validated by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. The new construct has been used successfully to test the hypothesis that people with high CVPA attach special importance to products with a high aesthetic content (in the case of loudspeakers).

Do tech products have a beauty premium? The effect of visual aesthetics of wearables on willingness-to-pay premium and the role of product category involvement

Does design, not technology, affect consumers' valuation of wearable devices? This study empirically examines the impact of the visual product aesthetics of wearables on consumers’ willingness-to-pay (WTP) premium, along with the relevant intervening consumer psychology of perceived benefits. The results of an online survey revealed a significant and positive association between the visual product aesthetics of wearables and WTP, perceived product quality (PQ), and perceived enjoyment (PE) of wearables. In addition, PE mediated the relation between visual aesthetics and WTP, while PQ did not. Meanwhile, consumer involvement moderated the relation between visual aesthetics and WTP. Implications and limitations were discussed.

Consumer preference and apparel products: investigating the role of the Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics concept

ABSTRACT Despite academic interest in the Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics (CVPA) construct, studies are needed that further explore the importance that specific visual aesthetic properties of apparel holds for consumers. Based on the two-factor theory called the Most Advanced, Yet Acceptable principle (MAYA principle), this study empirically examines the influence of the CVPA on aesthetic preference relative to apparel products. As most studies exploring the MAYA principle have relied on a repeated-measures design, an experimental between-subjects design was employed. By using stimuli of apparel products with various levels of typicality and novelty, the influence of individual differences measured by the CVPA in aesthetic response was investigated. Results suggest that while the MAYA principle holds for the evaluation of the tested products, the CVPA does not moderate their evaluation. Findings also identify product attributes that further clarify the properties of typicality and novelty in the tested products.

Determinants of Consumer’s Intention to Purchase Traditional Indian Apparels

Traditional Indian apparels consumer market is still a niche market. The main aim of this article is to observe the influence of perceived quality, price sensitivity, perceived value, status consumption, consumer traits relating to product design (centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA), product knowledge (independent variables) on purchase intention of traditional Indian apparels. A structured questionnaire was circulated among respondents in Delhi NCR to collect data. Convenience sampling was employed for data collection. The psychometric properties of purchase intention for Traditional Indian apparels were examined by testing the reliability and validity of the measures. Multiple Regression tool was used to find out the relationship between independent variables on dependent variable (purchase intention). The regression results revealed that perceived quality, CVPA were found to have significant and positive effect on consumer’s intention to purchase Indian traditional apparels.

The Effect of Minimalist Design on Consumer Attitude: The Moderating Role of Product Type as well as Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics

The Effect of Minimalist Design on Consumer Attitude: The Moderating Role of Product Type as well as Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics

Effects of visual simplicity in product design and individual differences in preference of interactive products

Simplicity is often advocated as a key design factor in interactive products. It has been suggested that the simplicity (or complexity) of a product’s design influences consumers’ decision-making processes, potentially increasing or decreasing product value. However, the paradox of simplicity (Eytam et al. in Int J Hum–Comput Stud 105: 43–55, 2017) suggests that some moderating factors affect the relation between design simplicity and consumer preferences. The objective of this study was to test whether this paradox of simplicity in interactive products could be explained by considering the moderating role of individual differences in perceptions of the visual simplicity of a product’s user interface. We conducted an experiment to test this proposition, grouping users according to the following individual differences: personal innovativeness in the domain of information technology, internal computer self-efficacy, social comparison orientation, maximization, and centrality of visual product aesthetics. Our findings indicate that personal characteristics influence the perception of a design’s level of visual simplicity. This, in turn, influences instrumental (i.e., ease-of-use and functionality) and aesthetic product attribute judgments, and consumer preference. The results shed light on how product design is used to assess the quality of interactive products.

Gender Differences in the Associations Between Gray Matter Volume and the Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics

Visual aesthetics influence consumers’ perception, acquisition, and usage of products, but the level of significance that a commercial product’s visual aesthetics hold for each consumer varies from one person to another. Such individual difference is referred to as the centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA). Previous research has revealed that female adults scored higher than male adults in the self-reported CVPA scale. In order to identify the neuroanatomical correlates of this gender difference, we conducted a voxel-based morphometry (VBM) study to examine the association between the CVPA and gray matter volume (GMV) in a large sample of healthy adults from mainland China. The results revealed positive correlations between the female participants’ CVPA scores and the GMV in two brain areas liked to reward processing, namely the left medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) and the left dorsal striatum. By contrast, the results revealed a negative correlation between the male participants’ CVPA scores and their GMV in the left mOFC. Collectively, these findings suggest that the level of significance that a commercial product’s visual aesthetics hold for consumers may be associated with the rewards that they are able to receive from them. These findings also provide empirical evidence about the neuroanatomical correlates of self-reported values.

Consumers’ perceptions of visual product aesthetics based on fashion innovativeness and fashion leadership levels: A research study in Mersin

The main objective of the study is to determine whether consumers’ visual product aesthetic perception differs according to the level of fashion innovations and fashion leadership. The study was conducted in five counties of Mersin, and the population was 20-64-year-old consumers. The sample consisted of 420 consumers, 213 of whom were male, and 207 of whom were female. Data were obtained through surveys and were analyzed electronically. Descriptive statistics, factors, clustering, and chi-square analysis with t-test were used. As a result of the study, it was found that consumers’ perception of visual product aesthetics is three-dimensional, and it differs depending on consumers’ levels of fashion innovativeness and fashion leadership. Since the divergence of consumers’ desires and expectations, and increasing competition among businesses, are driving manufacturers and marketers to produce new products that can appeal to consumers, it is expected that results of this study will contribute to this field.

The Effects of Product Visibility, Price, and Individual Differences in the Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions and Postpurchase Evaluations Under Aesthetic Versus Functional Trade-Off Contexts

The Effects of Product Visibility, Price, and Individual Differences in the Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics on Consumers’ Purchase Intentions and Postpurchase Evaluations Under Aesthetic Versus Functional Trade-Off Contexts

Too new or too complex? Why consumers’ aesthetic sensitivity matters in apparel design evaluation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine the individual and joint effects of collative design factors, complexity and novelty, on aesthetic response to apparel products; and whether the influence of these factors is moderated by consumers’ centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA).Design/methodology/approachA mixed factorial experimental design, using women’s tops with design complexity and novelty (high vs low) manipulated orthogonally, was conducted among 260 female participants to test the model and its corresponding hypotheses.FindingsConsumers’ aesthetic response was more positive for high than low complexity and novelty apparel designs. Further, when viewed in combination, high complexity + low novelty and low complexity + high novelty apparel designs were favored over high complexity + high novelty and low complexity + low novelty apparel designs, respectively. High CVPA consumers were more distinguishing than low CVPA consumers with respect to novelty in apparel designs.Practical implicationsThis study suggests that firms need to be aware that complexity and novelty are crucial for consumers when judging apparel designs.Originality/valueThis study fills an important knowledge gap in the aesthetics literature by drawing on the processing fluency theory and Wundt curve and considering the joint effect of novelty and complexity, both critical determinants of a product’s marketplace success.

Luxury implications of showcasing a product with its “cast” shadow

Purpose This paper aims to investigate the role of showcasing a product with its cast shadow (formed in the ad’s background by the advertised product) on consumer product perceptions. Design/methodology/approach Three experimentally designed studies, incorporating two product categories, demonstrate the impact of visual presentation of a product with its shadow on consumer evaluations. A total of 203 participants (MTurkers, and student respondents at a southern university) provided data for these studies through questionnaires (online as well as paper-pencil formats). Findings Findings reveal that the presence of a product’s cast shadow in the ad frame increases its visual acuity, which in turn enhances its luxury perceptions. Downstream, a product shadow’s presence positively impacts its overall evaluations, through enhanced product luxury perceptions. Also, consumers with high Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics (CVPA) demonstrate a stronger liking for such product presentations. Research limitations/implications The current findings not only demonstrate the positive impact of product shadows on consumer perceptions, but also enrich the luxury and aesthetics literature streams. Practical implications Advertisers often subjectively use product shadows as stylistic tools in marketing communications. This research offers some practical guidelines to use shadows in fostering product luxury perceptions and better target aesthetically-sensitive consumers. Originality/value Advertising research suggests that visual styling and presentation of products significantly impacts consumer perceptions. However, the role of product shadows has not yet been empirically examined. This paper makes an attempt to test whether and how product shadows impact consumer perceptions.

The Effect of Stylistic Product Information on Consumers’ Aesthetic Responses

This paper investigates the effect of stylistic information about a product, defined as verbal product information aimed at helping consumers to interpret a product's visual design, on consumers’ aesthetic responses. The results of three experimental studies show that for consumers with higher centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA), stylistic information positively influences aesthetic responses through perceived meaningfulness of product design (i.e., the extent to which an individual is able to make sense of a product's visual appearance and understands what it represents). Further, these effects translate into consumers’ purchase intentions. For consumers with lower CVPA, stylistic information neither affects aesthetic responses nor perceived meaningfulness of product design. These findings contribute to existing research on consumers’ aesthetic processing by highlighting the importance for consumers to grasp a product's design meaning in order to maximally appreciate its visual appeal.

Effects of need for touch, centrality of visual product aesthetics and gender on channel preference for apparel shopping

The purpose of this study was to examine how apparel consumers' preference for physical or virtual shopping channels is related to gender and consumers' dispositional traits of need for touch (NFT) and centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA). A survey was conducted using a convenience sample of 276 US college students. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, MANOVA and ANOVA. Results of this study indicate that participants with high NFT or CVPA had a greater preference for virtual channels than participants with low NFT or CVPA. Gender by itself was not an important influence in preference for shopping channels; however, the results of this study revealed that gender interacted with NFT and CVPA on preference for virtual channels. Men with high NFT or CVPA showed the highest preference for virtual channels, while women with high NFT or CVPA did not differ from other groups in their preference for virtual channels. There were no main effects and no interactions among variables on preference for physical channels. This study is the first to investigate the interactions of gender with NFT and CVPA in preference for apparel shopping channels.

The Effect of Visual Product Aesthetics on Consumers’ Price Sensitivity

In today's world, due to renewed and changing consumer demands and the rapidly developing technological factors, companies and managers are in search of new strategies to make a difference in their products and services. As competition increased marketers started to focus on new approaches and product innovations to attract consumers’ perception and attention. One of the most effective ways of differentiating is using aesthetics. Visual aesthetics of products creates value for consumers. Visual aesthetics create significant value for product and makes it more special. Also, level of price sensitivity of consumer decreases when the product is more unique and prestigious. This study aims to investigate the relationship between visual aesthetics of products and consumers’ price sensitivity. The data of the study is collected via a survey form from 510 respondents from Eskisehir, Turkey. The results revealed that visual aesthetics of products and also its sub-dimensions including value, acumen, and response are negatively associated with consumers’ price sensitivity. Explanatory power of response dimension was higher than its counterparts.

The Influence of Art Collaboration to the Product Evaluation: Focus on the Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics

The Influence of Art Collaboration to the Product Evaluation: Focus on the Centrality of Visual Product Aesthetics

The impact of personal innovativeness on product aesthetics and self-connection with brand: a case study of mobile phone users

The concept of personal innovativeness in information technology (PIIT) is often used in an IS context to understand the adoption of IT products and services. However, to the best of our knowledge, few studies have investigated the influence of PIIT on visual product aesthetics (AES) and the consumer's self-connection with brand. By comparing smartphone and functional phone users, this study revealed that PIIT is a significant predictor in explaining centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA) and self-brand connection (SBC). PIIT also acts as a predictor of AES and moderates the relationship between satisfaction (SAT) and SBC for smartphone users but not for functional phone users. For both user groups, CVPA predicts AES, and AES contributes to SAT and SBC. The academic and managerial implications of these results were discussed.

The effects of home page design on consumer responses: Moderating role of centrality of visual product aesthetics

This study examined the effect of home page design on consumer responses based on the Hierarchy of Effects model and impression formation theory. The design of the study was a one factor (home page design: image- vs. text-oriented) between-subjects design with two moderators, brand familiarity and the centrality of visual product aesthetics (CVPA). College women (N=658) participated in this online experiment. The findings revealed that: (1) an image-oriented design is more effective in enhancing a home page’s visual fluency, and (2) people in both high and low CVPA groups preferred an image-oriented home page to a text-oriented home page.

Individual differences in consumer value for mass customized products

ABSTRACTMass customized products, compared with mass marketed alternatives, offer advantages for optimizing performance outcomes, improving aesthetic appeal, and matching products' symbolic meanings with consumers' expressive desires. Despite having identified these value drivers for mass customized products, extant research has not connected those value drivers to individual differences among consumers. As a result, researchers' and practitioners' abilities to predict consumer value for mass customized products remain limited. This study advances and tests a model of individual differences associated with the perceived value of a customized product and mediated by involvement and perceived risk. A field survey administered to a sample of 240 participants provided data to test the model. Path analysis using structural equations modeling suggests that consumer value for mass customized products differs according to individual differences in need for uniqueness, need for optimization, and centrality of visual product aesthetics. Results also suggest that product category involvement and perceived risk are informative theoretical perspectives from which to study consumer value for mass customized products. The findings hold implications for how firms should approach the design of mass customization toolkits and how they should structure marketing communications promoting mass customized products. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.