International Journal of Web Research

International Journal of Web Research

An Analysis of the Visual Complexity on Academic Library Websites Based on Berlyne’s Complexity Theory

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Maryam Tavosi 1
Nader Naghshineh 2
Mohammad Zerehsaz 1
Siamak Mahboub 3
1 dept. Knowledge and Information Science, Kharazmi University, Tehran, Iran;
2 dept. Knowledge and Information Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
3 dept. Data Science and Artificial Intelligence, National Library and Archives of Iran, Tehran, Iran
10.22133/ijwr.2024.437676.1201
Abstract
Computational aesthetics is a field that combines science and art to explore aesthetic measurement, generative art, and design generation using computational methods. In the context of university library websites, adhering to aesthetic standards, particularly focusing on "moderate visual complexity," could enhance their visibility online (according to some previous studies). This research, analyzed 82 university library websites, including top international and Iranian academic libraries, to assess visual complexity based on Berlyne's theory of stimulus complexity using the Athec Python library. The study found that international university libraries have a complexity of over 0.57, while Iranian academic libraries lack the minimum complexity needed to motivate users. Moreover, the study found significant differences between the library websites of top Iranian and international universities. The linear regression statistic test was used to analyze the relationship between the visual complexity of academic library websites and the rank of the university, revealing a significant difference for the 41 top Iranian universities but not for the 41 top international universities. The Beta coefficient of linear regression between the visual complexity of academic library websites and the rank of the university is -0.502, and Sig=0.001, obtained for the top Iranian universities. On the other hand, the Beta coefficient of linear regression between the visual complexity of academic library websites and the ranks of the university is -0.062, and Sig=0.701, obtained for top international universities. This research highlights the innovation of connecting Berlyne’s theory of stimulus complexity with Python programming, providing a new perspective for university library website managers.
Keywords
Computational Aesthetics
University Libraries
Aesthetic Perception
Human Computer Interaction
User Experience

Subjects

  • Bo, J. Yu and K. Zhang, “Computational aesthetics and applications,” Visual computing for industry, biomedicine, and art, vol. 1, pp. 1-19, 2018, https://doi.org/10.1186/s42492-018-0006-1.
  • Aesthetic Entry, Merriam Webster dictionary, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aesthetic (Accessed 14 December 2023).
  • Moshagen and M. T. Thielsch, “Facets of visual aesthetics,” International journal of human-computer studies, vol. 68, no. 10, pp. 689-709, 2010, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2010.05.006.
  • Nielsen, J. 10 Usability Heuristics for User Interface Design, Nielsen Norman Group logoNielsen Norman Group, 1994, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/ (Accessed 16 December 2023).
  • Lang, “Formal aesthetics and visual perception: Questions architects ask,” Visual Arts Research, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 66-73. 1984, https://www.jstor.org/stable/20715564.
  • M. Danaci, “Aesthetics in cultural landscape and architectural education,” Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, vol. 191, pp. 190-195, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.04.242
  • Computational Aesthetic Entry. Britannica Encyclopedia.https://www.britannica.com/topic/computational-aesthetics (Accessed 10 December 2023).
  • D. Birkhoff, Aesthetic measure. Harvard University Press. 1933, https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674734470.
  • Lavie and N. Tractinsky, “Assessing dimensions of perceived visual aesthetics of web sites,” International journal of human-computer studies, vol. 60, no. 3, pp. 269-298. 2004, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2003.09.002.
  • Bowen, “The visual effect: a literature review of visual design principles as they apply to academic library websites,” Internet Reference Services Quarterly, vol. 23, no. 3-4, pp. 67-88. 2019, https://doi.org/10.1080/10875301.2019.1702133
  • L. Geissler, G. M. Zinkhan and R. T. Watson, “The influence of home page complexity on consumer attention, attitudes, and purchase intent,” Journal of Advertising, vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 69-80, 2006, https://doi.org/10.1080/00913367.2006.10639232
  • Schmidt and C. Wolff, “The influence of user interface attributes on aesthetics,” i-com, vol. 17, no. 1, pp. 41-55. 2018, https://doi.org/10.1515/icom-2018-0003
  • F. Wang and J. Bowerman, “The Impact of Visual Complexity on Children's Learning Websites in Relation to Aesthetic Preference and Learning Motivation,” In Emerging Research and Trends in Interactivity and the Human-Computer Interface, IGI Global, 2014, pp. 395-412, https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-4623-0.ch020.
  • Redi, F. Z. Liu and N. O'Hare, “Bridging the aesthetic gap: The wild beauty of web imagery,” In Proceedings of the 2017 ACM on International Conference on Multimedia Retrieval, 2017, pp. 242-250, https://doi.org/10.1145/3078971.3078972
  • Wang and X. Li, “Effects of the aesthetic design of icons on app downloads: evidence from an android market,” Electron Commer Res, vol. 17, pp. 83–102 2017, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-016-9245-4
  • Leder, B. Belke, A. Oeberst and D. Augustin, “A model of aesthetic appreciation and aesthetic judgments,” British journal of psychology, vol. 95, no. 4, pp. 489-508. 2004, https://doi.org/10.1348/0007126042369811
  • Miniukovich and M. Marchese, “Relationship between visual complexity and aesthetics of webpages,” In Proceedings of the 2020 CHI conference on human factors in computing systems, 2020, pp. 1-13, https://doi.org/10.1145/3313831.3376602
  • F. Wang, “Picture perfect: Girls’ and boys’ preferences towards visual complexity in children’s websites,” Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 31, pp. 551-557, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2013.05.033
  • M. Fong and U. K. Yusof, “The Influence of Aesthetic Design of E-Commerce Website on Intention to Purchase,” Advanced Science Letters, vol. 24, no. 2, pp. 1298-1302(5), 2018, https://doi.org/10.1166/asl.2018.10736.
  • N. Tuch, J. A. Bargas-Avila, K. Opwis and F. H. Wilhelm, “Visual complexity of websites: Effects on users’ experience, physiology, performance, and memory,” International journal of human-computer studies, vol. 67, no. 9, pp. 703-715, 2009, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2009.04.002.
  • Onaifo and D. “Rasmussen, Increasing libraries' content findability on the web with search engine optimization,” Library Hi Tech, vol. 31, no. 1, pp. 87-108, 2013, https://doi.org/10.1108/07378831311303958.
  • Peng, “A Python Library for Computational Aesthetic Analysis of Visual Media in Social Science Research,” Computational Communication Research, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 323-349, 2022, https://doi.org/10.5117/CCR2022.1.009.PENG.
  • Tractinsky, A. S. Katz and D. Ikar, “What is beautiful is usable,” Interacting with computers, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 127-145, 2000, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0953-5438(00)00031-X .
  • Michailidou, S. Harper and S. Bechhofer, S. “Visual complexity and aesthetic perception of web pages,” In Proceedings of the 26th annual ACM international conference on Design of communication, 2008, pp. 215-224, https://doi.org/10.1145/1456536.1456581
  • E. Mbipom, “The interplay between web aesthetics and accessibility,” Doctorate thesis. The University of Manchester (United Kingdom). 2013. https://pure.manchester.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/54534408/FULL_TEXT.PDF (Accessed 12 December 2023)
  • Sedghi Shamir, “ Presenting a model to investigate the effect of basic neuroscience and social psychology on business websites,” Master Thesis, Information Technology Management, Electronic Business, Payam Noor University, Tehran West, Tehran, Iran, 2014. [In Persian]. https://ganj.irandoc.ac.ir/#/articles/57b80984725921c92cae3574a61315a8 (Accessed 12 December 2023)
  • Chevalier, A. C. Maury and N. Fouquereau, “The influence of the search complexity and the familiarity with the website on the subjective appraisal of aesthetics, mental effort and usability,” Behaviour and Information Technology, vol. 33, no. 2, pp. 117-132, 2014, https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929X.2013.819936
  • J. Lazard, I. Watkins, M. S. Mackert, B. Xie, K. K. Stephens and H. Shalev, “Design simplicity influences patient portal use: the role of aesthetic evaluations for technology acceptance,” Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association, vol. 2, no. e1, pp. e157-e161, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1093/jamia/ocv174
  • Seckler, K. Opwis and A. N. Tuch, “Linking objective design factors with subjective aesthetics: An experimental study on how structure and color of websites affect the facets of users’ visual aesthetic perception,” Computers in Human Behavior, vol. 49, pp. 375-389, 2015, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.02.056
  • Zohrehvandi and N. Emami Far, “Fundamentals of IRIB Channels Websites page layout structure "by Case Study of IRIB TV1 Channel Websites,” Negareh Journal, vol. 12, no. 41, pp. 42-53, 2017, http://doi.org/10.22070/negareh.2017.486
  • Rouzbahani, R. Afhami and N. Abdolvand, “The Relation between the Objective Aspects and the Aesthetic Perception of Web Pages Case Study: The Website of Iranian Newspapers in the Year 2019,” The Monthly Scientific Journal of Bagh-e Nazar, vol. 18, no. 95, pp. 101-114, 2021, http://doi.org/10.22034/bagh.2020.235449.4577
  • Jiang, W. Wang, B. C. Y. Tan and J. Yu, “The Determinants and Impacts of Aesthetics in Users’ First Interaction with Websites,” Journal of Management Information Systems, vol. 33, no. 1, pp. 229-259, 2016, https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2016.1172443.
  • Boychuk and M. Bakaev, “Entropy and Compression Based Analysis of Web User Interfaces,” In: Bakaev, M., Frasincar, F., Ko, IY. (eds) In Web Engineering: 19th International Conference, ICWE 2019, Daejeon, South Korea, June 11–14, 2019, Proceedings 19, Springer International Publishing, 2019, pp. 253-261, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-19274-7_19.
  • J. Lazard and A. J. King, “Objective design to subjective evaluations: Connecting visual complexity to aesthetic and usability assessments of eHealth,” International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, vol. 36, no. 1, pp. 95-104, 2020, https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2019.1606976.
  • Gabrieli, M. H. Bornstein, P. Setoh and G. Esposito, “Machine learning estimation of users’ implicit and explicit aesthetic judgments of web-pages,” Behaviour & Information Technology, vol. 42, no. 4, pp. 392-402, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2021.2023635.
  • Muntarina, R. Mostafiz, F. Khanom, F., S. B. Shorif and M. Shorrif Uddin, “MultiResEdge: A deep learning-based edge detection approach,” Intelligent Systems with Applications, vol. 20, p. 200274, 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.iswa.2023.200274.
  • Athec Python Library. https://github.com/yilangpeng/athec (Accessed 10 September 2023)
  • A developed version of Athec Python Library. https://github.com/yasharazadvatan/athec (Accessed 10 November 2023)

 

International Journal of Web Research
Volume 6, Issue 2
July 2023
Pages 97-106