Aesthetic-Usability Effect
Things that look good are assumed to work well.
What it is
People rate attractive interfaces as easier to use, more trustworthy and more valuable, before they have used them. Good aesthetics also buy tolerance: users forgive small usability problems in a product that looks considered. It is not a substitute for usability, but it is the first impression usability never gets to make.
The research
Ratings of the apparent usability of ATM screens correlated strongly with ratings of their aesthetic appeal, and only weakly with their actual usability.
Kurosu and Kashimura, 1995
How to use it
Fix alignment before features
Consistent spacing and type do more for perceived quality than another capability.
Photograph the work properly
For a trade or a studio, image quality is read as work quality.
Related
Sources that shaped this entry: growth.design.