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Attention web designers: You have 50 milliseconds to make a good first impression! Behaviour and Information Technology, 25(2), 115-126

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Abstract

Three studies were conducted to ascertain how quickly people form an opinion about web page visual appeal. In the first study, participants twice rated the visual appeal of web homepages presented for 500 ms each. The second study replicated the first, but participants also rated each web page on seven specific design dimensions. Visual appeal was found to be closely related to most of these. Study 3 again replicated the 500 ms condition as well as adding a 50 ms condition using the same stimuli to determine whether the first impression may be interpreted as a 'mere exposure effect' (Zajonc 1980). Throughout, visual appeal ratings were highly correlated from one phase to the next as were the correlations between the 50 ms and 500 ms conditions. Thus, visual appeal can be assessed within 50 ms, suggesting that web designers have about 50 ms to make a good first impression.
... Visual complexity refers to the level of visual variation in a design. Such variation can influence the attention given to, attractiveness of, and attitudes toward information (Lindgaard et al., 2006;Pieters et al., 2010). Visual complexity can affect users' online behavior and experience and can be measured using visual factors, such as the information hierarchy, font-weight, and color richness of a layout (Tuch et al., 2009). ...
... Based on the principles and practices of visual design, the evaluation of visual hierarchy is achieved through the arrangement of columns and rows in the page layout, coupled with the manipulation of color and font weight or size (Couper et al., 2013;Kuba and Jeong, 2023;Muller-Brockmann, 1985;Retore et al., 2016). Although research has investigated the influence of visual complexity on attitudes and has employed numerous definitions and measurement standards (Lindgaard et al., 2006;McQuarrie and Mick, 1996;Peracchio and Meyers-Levy, 1994;Pieters et al., 2010), the role of complexity in health information design has yet to be fully elucidated. Therefore, the present study analyzed effective design and communication of health information as well as assessed health information recipients' comprehension, attitudes, and behavioral intentions. ...
... Visual complexity and information architecture are critical factors in representing online health information. These factors shape initial impressions of online health messages, serve as predictive indicators for future use intentions, and significantly influence users' evaluations of the information over time (Lavie and Tractinsky, 2004;Lindgaard et al., 2006;Tuch et al., 2012). Persuasive designs have an appropriate level of complexity and effectively represent target concepts. ...
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Social media is a valuable tool that enables public health organizations to communicate effectively. To enhance the reach of health communication on social media, scholars have proposed that emoji be used to convey scientific information. The current study explored the influence of emoji on the effectiveness of health communication on social media. Automated content analysis revealed that the presence of emoji in online health information resulted in higher levels of social media engagement (SME) than the absence of emoji did. Additionally, a 2 (emoji: present versus absent) × 3 (visual complexity of information design: low versus medium versus high) online experiments revealed that the presence of emoji in health information sequentially increased perceived enjoyment and perceived interactivity, thereby promoting SME. However, this effect is influenced by the visual complexity of health information designs. The presence of emoji is only effective in increasing SME with health information presented using a design with low or medium visual complexity. This study provides theoretical and practical insights into visual health communication and health information design.
... On the shorter end of the spectrum, a good-vs-bad first impression of a web page forms very quickly. A 50 ms interval was found to be enough for users to decide whether they like a design or not (Lindgaard et al. 2006)results being highly similar to 500 ms. Tuch et al. (2012) show that the factors of visual complexity and protypicality influence perceived beauty of web pages already within 17 ms. ...
... Feedback in the 2second ET group is the most minimalistic and identifies the fewest elements and characteristics. Lack of differences in attitudinal questions is corroborated by Lindgaard et al. (2006) attitudes form very quickly, so for testing visual appeal by itself, 2 seconds are enough time. ...
... La seconde est l'ensemble des facteurs de design qui font référence à l'architecture du site et qui conditionnent la navigabilité et les conditions d'accès à l'offre recherchée (types de menus, de rubriques, de commandes de contrôle). Et la troisième réunie les facteurs sociaux que l'on peut définir comme étant l'ensemble des outils permettant aux internautes d'interagir entre eux ou avec l'entreprise (chatbots, avis clients, forums de discussion) (Lemoine, 2012 (Lindgaard, 2006). ...
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