Aesthetics and usability both play critical roles in product design. But how might measurement of these two conceptually-different features of products interfere with one another? The current research study examines the effect of differences in aesthetics on perceived usability. Participants completed three tasks on a simulated website with a low usability interface. One group of participants used an interface with high aesthetics, whereas a second group interacted with an interface with poor aesthetics. Both groups rated the usability and aesthetics of the interface after completing the tasks. The aesthetics manipulation was effective in that the high aesthetics group provided higher ratings on two aesthetics scales than did the low aesthetics group; however, differences in aesthetics had no significant effect on usability as measured by the System Usability Scale (SUS). These findings support the idea that users make independent judgments of usability and aesthetics.

Due to an abundance of available methodologies and research guidelines, it can be difficult to pinpoint and correctly choose a suitable method for answering human factors-centered research questions. This is especially true for novice researchers who may lack the requisite knowledge to identify and implement methods within the domain that could be most appropriate for solving a specific problem. To address this issue, a human factors methods website was designed and created using an iterative four-stage developmental process consisting of investigation, planning, design, and evaluation phases. This website will serve as a tool for users (i.e., novice researchers) to select, learn, and implement a variety of methods that can be tailored to properly address their research questions and achieve valid results.

User Experience (UX) extends the construct of usability by an additional focus on emotion, motivation and aesthetics. An emphasis on aesthetics has been undertaken to a greater extent by design disciplines than by science. The present review examines both design and scientific approaches to aesthetics in order to integrate the two approaches and identify research opportunities that could result in science based design principals. The review of design approaches to aesthetics indicates the primary importance of balance as an element of design. Accordingly, research on the role of balance in producing aesthetic responses from users is a reasonable starting point for a program of research. Additionally, the analysis of aesthetic metrics and individual differences in aesthetic preferences in scientific research are discussed as possible collaboration areas for designers.