2026-09-19T14:05:51Zhttps://dspace.mit.edu/server/oai/requestoai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/688572022-01-13T07:54:36Zcom_1721.1_7582com_1721.1_7581col_1721.1_131024
Maria Yang.
Schmit, Stephanie M
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
2012-01-30T16:55:24Z
2012-01-30T16:55:24Z
2011
2011
http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/68857
773191706
Thesis (S.B.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2011.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 24).
People think that more attractive objects are more usable, even when they do not work. This is worrisome to the field of engineering, usually devoted to creating the most functional solution. If indeed customers are more satisfied with more attractive objects, more emphasis should be placed on object beauty, not just object functionality. Eighty subjects were interviewed and rated the attractiveness, functionality, and an unrelated factor (weight) before and after using a salt shaker. Eight different salt shakers were used, that varied in attractiveness and functionality. It turns out that people were more satisfied with the functionality of attractive, nonfunctional objects and unattractive, functional objects. They also bonded more with nonfunctional objects and found them more attractive after using them. There is a complex relationship between a person's perceived functionality of a device and its attractiveness.
by Stephanie M. Schmit.
S.B.
30 p.
eng
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.I.T. theses are protected by
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http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582
Mechanical Engineering.
Exploration of user perceptions of attractiveness and functionality
Thesis
application/pdf
Publication
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<Abstract>People think that more attractive objects are more usable, even when they do not work. This is worrisome to the field of engineering, usually devoted to creating the most functional solution. If indeed customers are more satisfied with more attractive objects, more emphasis should be placed on object beauty, not just object functionality. Eighty subjects were interviewed and rated the attractiveness, functionality, and an unrelated factor (weight) before and after using a salt shaker. Eight different salt shakers were used, that varied in attractiveness and functionality. It turns out that people were more satisfied with the functionality of attractive, nonfunctional objects and unattractive, functional objects. They also bonded more with nonfunctional objects and found them more attractive after using them. There is a complex relationship between a person's perceived functionality of a device and its attractiveness.</Abstract>
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