Computational Aesthetics in HCI: Towards a Predictive Model of Graphical User Interface Aesthetics

This thesis describes the development and validation of a predictive model of graphical user interface (GUI) aesthetics. The development was informed by the processing-fluency theory of aesthetic pleasure and involved outlining several visual dimensions of GUI designs, which could affect aesthetics impression. Each of the dimensions was grounded in theory and represents a unique visual aspect of GUI design. The resulting model automatically evaluates the design dimensions and combines them in an estimate of the average impression that GUI appearance would make on the user population. The model was validated in a number of user studies proving high validity and reliability. The model outputs an aesthetics score ofuser impression and could inform the creation of more beautiful GUIs by highlighting which of the design dimensions could be improved. The thesis describes the studies that validated the model on several types of GUIs and demonstrated a potential application of the model in future research and practice.