Differentiating Visual Usability from Aesthetics in Visual Experience
Johanna Maria Silvennoinen, Tuomo Kujala, Minna Haapakoski · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · 2026
Numerous studies have examined the dynamics of visual experience in HCI. Yet findings, particularly regarding the aesthetic–usability effect, remain inconsistent. Moreover, the cognitive and affective processes underlying visual experience have not been explicitly examined or operationalized in existing measurement scales. Reliable measures of these dimensions are needed to understand visual experience formation. To address this gap, we develop and validate a novel scale of visual usability as a distinct cognitive dimension of visual technology experience. Scale construction is based on a literature review and exploratory factor analysis of survey data (N = 660), with construct validity further assessed through an experiment manipulating visual complexity (N = 24). The results indicate that the scale effectively differentiates visual usability as a cognitive, sensemaking dimension of visual experience, through perceptions of clarity, unity, and color. The scale can be used to examine visual technology experience and the aesthetic–usability effect.