電子商務網站介面設計研究－美感與使用性

Abstract

長久以來，介面設計的功能與形式爭議不斷，衍生出易於使用(Ease to use)與樂於使用(Joy to use)兩大概念。然而，過去人機互動聚焦於強調效率、功能的使用性 (Usability)上，往往忽略產品形式與美感(Aesthetics)所影響使用者經驗及情緒部分。因此，除了先前備受討論的功能性之使用性設計外，現在越來越多學者開始關注形式層面的探討，如美感和情緒議題。本研究從美感與使用性角度探討電子商務網站介面設計，除了傳統的使用性設計，情緒性因素如美感是否對人的感知與行為表現具正面的影響？ 本研究證實，電子商務網站介面的美感呈現的確會影響個人對網站好不好用的初步感知。在滿意度與使用者表現方面，固有使用性具有重要影響性，但研究也發現，在情緒部分，美感所產生的影響性確實比固有使用性來的大，美感高的實驗組別較能引發偏向正面的愉悅感，美感低的實驗組帶來的偏向負面情緒。 因此，本研究認為，需要進一步將使用性滿意度擴大為使用者主觀經驗，納入使用心理、情緒性因素－美感考量。同時，從本研究結果中發現美感與使用性是並行不悖，也就是電子商務網站介面設計，除了達到方便、好用等使用性原則是基本要求外，亦應於網站中增加美感因素，以便在第一印象上能達到顯著的影響效果。

The argument between functionality and form in the field of interface design mainly concerns these two issues: “Ease to use” and “Joy to use”. “Ease to use” represents the objective values of product functions; “Joy to use” relates to subjective feelings. Earlier HCI researchers focused on the usability issues in terms of efficiency and functionality. The drawback is that designers might easily neglect the forms and aesthetics of products which affect users’ experiences and emotion. Up to date, researchers have been prompted to pay more attention toward formative and subjective issues, such as aesthetics and emotion. The purpose of the present study is to investigate the interface design of e-commerce websites from aesthetics and usability perspectives. The assumption is that, aside from usability, aesthetics (emotional factor) could also positively influence users’ perceptions and behaviors. In other words, the degree of attractive interface layouts might be able to affect users to perceive the usability of an e-commerce website. One of the results showed that, in aspect of user’s behavioral performance, inherent usability is an influential factor. Also, this study proved that aesthetics will affect user satisfaction and emotion. Moreover, the findings revealed that rather than expressed negative emotion like low-aesthetic groups, high- aesthetic groups tended to evoke positive emotion. Conclusively, usability test should consider taking mental and emotional factors (e.g. aesthetics) into account. Applying aesthetic factors into the interface design of e-commerce websites will benefit consumers’ initial impression as well as increases their shopping motivations and efficiency.