May 07 2009 at 3:28pm
Beautiful is more usable
I finally got around to reading ALA’s In Defense of Eye Candy article from a few weeks ago. Yes, I’m behind! Anyway, while I somewhat disagree with the author’s use of the term “eye candy”, the bulk of the article is very interesting.
I first read about this in James Kalbach’s Designing Web Navigation (p. 45) just last week. The point is that people have better experiences with visually attractive things, making them easier to use. Emotions are a central part of any user experience:
“When you felel good it is easier to make decisions, brainstorm, and be creative, for instance”
Makes sense, doesn’t it? If you’re in a good mood you’re a lot more forgiving. On the other hand, if you’re in a bad mood, you get frustrated more easily, give up faster, and generally have a hard time thinking rationally.
In the ALA article, author Stephen P. Anderson also points out that:
- products have personalities, which influences user perceptions
- visual design is used to evaluate credibility
Next you can apply this to a design project. How does your design make people feel? Is this in line with user expectations? I think we do this instinctively as designers but it’s useful to think about it deliberately. You can also think about how your design may affect different audiences in different ways. Some audiences have different ideas about what looks good and what would make them feel good about using something. Consider any OFAD types you know 
Now, about the term “eye candy” – Anderson equates “eye candy” to aesthetics. I never interpreted the term that way. Who knows, maybe it’s being used in different context from what I’m used to in some other circles. To me it means visual emptiness. Flash intros. Animated graphics. Mystery meat navigation. Something the PHB wanted the designer to put there to “catch attention”, which becomes lame and annoying after a month or two. That’s eye candy. Momentarily tasty, no nutritional value.
Stretch May 20th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
A dictionary definition of eye candy is visually appealing. I would probably say it’s a little more than just ‘appealing’. A beautifully laid out magazine spread could be eye candy. It’s something that makes you say “Wow” when you see it. However, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, what may be eye candy to one person (e.g. a banal Flash animation) may not necessarily be so to another.
trade show bill September 1st, 2009 at 10:05 pm
hi Megan,
I clicked on your signature on Webmaster forums and ended up here…
I like a clean design, but there is no reason it shouldn’t make me feel good also… so maybe a little eye candy (as long as it loads fast) isn’t a bad thing… as long as there is useful content there as well… that is easily found.
Like so many things, balance is the key.
By the way, when you wrote:
“When you felel good…”
I think you meant:
“When you feel good…”
And finally… you should blog more often!
Bill, aka Trade Show Bill, a Webmaster Forums reader, and occasional contributor
preston web design September 23rd, 2009 at 10:36 am
i totally agree that if things look good you feel good. eye candy is a thing that effects us all in different ways so what not to a magazine or website.
preston web design September 23rd, 2009 at 10:38 am
…..oh and i must say you website makes for very good eye candy
take care x