AESTHETICS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - Human-Computer Interaction and Management Information Systems: Foundations - page 312

C HAPTER 15

AESTHETICS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

Motivation and Future Research Directions

N OAM T RACTINSKY

Abstract: Researchers in the fields of management information systems (MIS) and human-
computer interaction (HCI) have largely ignored the aesthetic dimension of information technology.
This paper argues that aesthetics should be conceived as an integral part of information technology
just as it is in other aspects of our lives. Four reasons are provided for this premise: (1) In many
cases, aesthetics becomes a major differentiating factor between IT products; (2) our evaluations of
the environment, including IT, are primarily visual; (3) aesthetics satisfies basic human needs, and
human needs are increasingly supplied by information technology; and (4) aesthetic considerations
are becoming increasingly important in our society, in large part thanks to IT. The paper proposes
research directions for the study of aesthetics in information technology and provides some exam-
ples of research questions to illustrate the viability of this topic.

Keywords: Aesthetics, Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Information Technology, Visual

Appearance

INTRODUCTION

Information systems are artifacts, made to serve individuals, organizations, and society. Early
information processing artifacts were designed to support a small number of well-defined organi-
zational activities (e.g., payroll processing). Over the years, information technologies have pene-
trated almost every aspect of human life. The roles of IT, the ways in which it services society,
have changed considerably. Consequently, people's experiences with IT have changed as well,
along with their expectations, demands, and evaluations of existing and new IT artifacts. These
changes call for reevaluation of how researchers and practitioners alike approach the design of the
IT artifact. Whereas past research and practical guidelines stressed avoiding negative user experi-
ences, a new vision of IT sees opportunities for positive experiences. In line with these changes, the
purpose of this paper is to highlight a neglected aspect of IT design, namely its visual aesthetics. 1
Of the various design disciplines, none can match architecture in terms of practical experience
and scholarly work. Previous research noted the analogy between architecture and various facets
of IT such as software development (Beregi, 1984; Gamma et al., 1994) and the user interface
(Hooper, 1986). Architecture is viewed as a potential reference discipline to MIS research and
practice (Lee, 1991; Kim et al., 2002) and for Brooks (1975), the architect of an information system,
“like the architect of the building, is the user's agent. It is his job to bring professional and tech-
nical knowledge to bear in the unalloyed interest of the user . . .” (p. 45). This paper, too, is anchored

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