AESTHETICS IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY - Human-Computer Interaction and Management Information Systems: Foundations - page 325

Now, it is even relevant! In this paper I tried to explain why it is appropriate to study aesthetics
within the context of IT and to suggest some direction for research in this area. Evidence suggests
that aesthetics matters in almost every aspect of human life. The rapid proliferation of IT and the
increasing migration of applications from corporate and academic settings to everyday activities
necessitate a much more rigorous attempt at understanding how IT and aesthetics relate. The
research directions proposed here are far from being exhaustive. In the tradition of empirical
research in IS, a research framework was presented, which identifies key variables and proposed
relationships between antecedents and consequences of aesthetic evaluations of IT. However,
many other research directions are also possible, some of which were also outlined. It is important
to reiterate that the purpose of this work is not to suggest the predominance of aesthetic considera-
tions over others. Rather, it is to advocate better balance of major design dimensions in IT, a balance
that is much more pronounced in other design disciplines.
ACKNOWLEDGMENT
This is an extended version of a paper presented at the 25th International Conference on Information
Systems (ICIS), Washington, DC, December, 2004.
NOTE
1. The term “aesthetics” was introduced into philosophical terminology in the eighteenth century by
Baumgarten. It has evolved through the years and has different meanings for different schools of thought
(cf., Lavie and Tractinsky, 2004). Here we are interested in its common meaning as “an artistically beautiful
or pleasing appearance” ( The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language ), or as “a pleasing
appearance or effect: Beauty” ( Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary ). For broader perspectives on IT
aesthetics see Laurel (1991) and Stolterman (1994).
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