Beauty in use

Comments on an article by Marc Hassenzahl (see record 2005-00463-002). The main merit of the article is that offers a guiding research model for empirical studies on beauty in the field of human computer interaction (HCI) and he presents it eloquently. From a product design point of view a few remarks can be made though. First, product designers are interested in tangible, and not virtual, on-screen products. We wonder therefore if and how the results of his studies would hold for products that the user can manipulate, actually touch, take in her hand, and so forth. Second, we think it is essential when dealing with difficult notions such as beauty, goodness and usability to use dynamic measures of users' behavior. This makes the researcher's life extremely complicated. To conclude, we admire the first steps taken on the path of scientific research into beauty, goodness, and usability in interactive products. As always, though, we are impatient. Product designers have to make things now. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2005 APA, all rights reserved)