Aesthetics, emotions and engagement: A high-fidelity prototype study on digital product interface

This study examines the intersection of aesthetics, emotion, and functionality in digital design, investigating how high-fidelity visual elements influence user affect and perceived usability. Grounded in the Aesthetic-Usability Effect and Emotional Design Theory, the literature suggests that attractive interfaces trigger positive emotional responses that broaden cognitive processes and enhance functional perception. This research addresses a gap in psychologically informed design by asking how specific manipulations of colour, typography, and whitespace influence a user’s emotional state and system engagement.
It was hypothesized that prototypes featuring warm colours, simple typography, and ample whitespace would evoke significantly higher positive affect, correlating with higher System Usability Scale scores and user preference . Using a within-subjects design, N=160 participants evaluated two high-fidelity website prototypes—Website 1 (Positive Aesthetics) and Website 2 (Negative Aesthetics). Data were analysed using Repeated Measures ANOVA, Pearson Correlation, and Linear Regression.
Results demonstrate a significant main effect for valence (p < 0.001), with positive iterations evoking substantially higher affect. Colour and Typography were dominant drivers; positive colour achieved the highest mean rating (M=4.06) and preference (43.1%). Regression confirmed that positive affect significantly predicts usability, explaining 30.3% of score variance (R2 = 0.303, p < 0.001), validating the Halo Effect.