University of Twente Student Theses
Expanded Nature – Nature-Related User Interfaces for Websites and Their Role on Human Behavior and Cognition
Ionas, Maria Cristina (2024) Expanded Nature – Nature-Related User Interfaces for Websites and Their Role on Human Behavior and Cognition.
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| Abstract: | As online shopping has become an essential part of people’s lives, organizations explore innovative design strategies to enhance customers’ experience, satisfaction, and loyalty. Various organizations have taken on the trend of implementing nature-related designs into the user interfaces of their web applications. Despite the widespread use of nature-related user interfaces, academic research that covers their integration remains limited and focuses primarily on concrete representations of nature. This research paper aims to expand the literature on nature-related user interfaces, exploring innovative design methods of incorporating nature elements in subtle ways, using the totality of user interface elements available on a website, including colors, layouts, buttons, and animations. These design interventions were evaluated for their effectiveness in emitting feelings of nature presence and for their role in influencing participants’ cognitive and behavioral responses in the context of a hypothetical e-commerce organization that has no link to nature. For this study, three websites were created, and participants’ responses to various levels of nature presence were assessed using an experimental design with three conditions. Finally, their answers were linked to their self-reported levels of nature connectedness. On one hand, this research provided evidence that implementing subtle nature-related design elements positively influences the level of perceived nature of the website, increases the level of perceived aesthetics, and elicits similar mental health benefits as exposure to outdoor nature. On the other hand, this research fails to determine a significant effect of nature presence on green brand assessment and trust in the website. These findings shed light on the different roles subtle nature-related user intefaces can play in shaping user experience and suggest implications for website design and environmental branding strategies. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 05 communication studies |
| Programme: | Communication Studies MSc (60713) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/99871 |
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