Archive for the ‘Design Psychology’ Category
Gestalt Series: Figure/Ground Relationships
Sunday, May 2nd, 2010
The Principle of Figure/Ground Relationships Figure/ground is the indispensable gestalt principle of perception that helps to identify objects (figure) as distinct from their background (ground). This principle relies heavily upon contrast, since images and text must be clearly visible to be understood. One example of the use of the theory of figure/ground is this text [...]
Applications of Gestalt Theory to Interactive Media Designs
Thursday, April 29th, 2010
Author’s Note: This will be a series of posts as I go through explanations of various principals of Gestalt Theory. This first post will serve as an introduction to the topic. Summary Three German psychologists, Max Wertheimer, Kurt Koffka, and Wolfgang Kohler, originally developed the scientific Gestalt psychology in 1910. Beginning in the twentieth century, [...]
Define: “Information Architecture”
Tuesday, December 29th, 2009
Any website that does not pay attention to the way that their content, information, and navigation are structured risks the possibility of a great site that no one can use. If the public cannot find the information they seek quickly and effectively, most will leave the site. Skilled information architects know that the most effective websites play into human cognitive processes while they structure information.
The Role of Website Personality
Saturday, March 7th, 2009
In a 2007 study by Amit Poddar, Naveen Donthu, and Yuji Wei titled “Web site orientations, Web site quality, and purchase intentions: The role of Web site personality”, researchers found correlations between the success of a website, and such factors as how the website personality affects the user. This study examined the effects of a website’s customer orientation, quality, and personality on customer purchase intentions while using e-commerce sites.