ABSTRACT Shortly after fixating on webpages, users form initial impressions. These initial impressions influence how much users will use and return to websites. Researchers have understudied how objective design features (e.g. visual complexity) influence subjective perceptions of website content and the favorability of initial user impressions. In the present study, the influence of two dimensions of visual complexity – feature complexity and design complexity – were tested within the boundaries of the persuasive model of web design. More specifically, the study examined how visual complexity influences perceptions of visual informativeness, cues for engagement, favourable initial impressions, and behavioural intentions in a sample of young adults (N = 277). Results suggest relationships for both dimensions of visual complexity on all outcome variables using ANOVA and OLS regression procedures and that perceptions of visual informativeness and cues for engagement mediate the relationship between visual complexity and favourable initial impressions and behavioural intentions. The study offers support for the utility of the persuasive model of web design for linking objective design features with subjective design perceptions to better understand favourable initial user impressions.

中文翻译：

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视觉复杂度对初始用户印象的影响：测试网页设计的说服模型

摘要 在关注网页后不久，用户就会形成初步印象。这些初始印象会影响用户将使用和返回网站的数量。研究人员尚未研究客观设计特征（例如视觉复杂性）如何影响网站内容的主观感知和初始用户印象的好感度。在本研究中，视觉复杂性的两个维度——特征复杂性和设计复杂性——的影响在网页设计的说服模型的范围内进行了测试。更具体地说，该研究调查了视觉复杂性如何影响年轻人（N = 277）样本中的视觉信息感知、参与线索、良好的初始印象和行为意图。结果表明，使用方差分析和 OLS 回归程序对所有结果变量的视觉复杂性的两个维度之间存在关系，并且对视觉信息和参与线索的感知在视觉复杂性与有利的初始印象和行为意图之间的关系中起中介作用。该研究为网页设计说服模型的效用提供了支持，用于将客观设计特征与主观设计感知联系起来，以更好地理解有利的初始用户印象。