Chenyan Xu

It is not for fun: An examination of social network site usage

Social networking sites (SNS) have become a significant component of peoples daily lives and have revolutionized the ways that business is conducted, from product development and marketing to operation and human resource management. However, there have been few systematic studies that ask why people use such systems. To try to determine why, we proposed a model based on uses and gratifications theory. Hypotheses were tested using PLS on data collected from 148 SNS users. We found that user utilitarian (rational and goal-oriented) gratifications of immediate access and coordination, hedonic (pleasure-oriented) gratifications of affection and leisure, and website social presence were positive predictors of SNS usage. While prior research focused on the hedonic use of SNS, we explored the predictive value of utilitarian factors in SNS. Based on these findings, we suggest a need to focus on the SNS functionalities to provide users with both utilitarian and hedonic gratifications, and suggest incorporating appropriate website features to help users evoke a sense of human contact in the SNS context.

Information Systems as a Reference Discipline for Visual Design

This paper proposes that the Information Systems (IS) discipline can serve as a reference discipline for the Visual Design discipline and vice versa. To this end, this work tries to offer a pluralistic framework of visual design systems (VSD) where the primary focus is on how the Visual Design discipline utilizes the intellectual know-how of IS concerning systems of development. Because visual design is part of the aesthetic paradigm where interpretivism rules and IS is contained in the positivist paradigm, we employ a multi-paradigm approach to bridge these two paradigms and their constituent disciplines. The implications of VSD are discussed in the remainder of this paper.

User Perceptions of Aesthetic Visual Design Variables within the Informing Environment: A Web-Based Experiment

A person’s psychological and physiological characteristics influence both behavior and decisionmaking in the informing process, such that system designers should understand users to reduce biases and misinformation. Given the substantial influence that visual interfaces have on users, system designers can benefit from understanding both the visual and functional aspects of interface design. To address these issues, this study employs the visual system design (VSD) framework, which integrates a rich and varied collection of visual design variables and IS (Information Systems) variables. This study performs a visual web-based experiment with data collected from 105 participants, where results show that changes in aesthetic elements of interface design, specifically, visual value and color, do ripple across a transition zone between visual design and IS variables. Both participants with and without visual design training were able to perceive those changes as intended. This study provides preliminary support to the VSD framework. It also suggests that bias and randomness are reduced in the informing process if system interfaces are designed with mindful and skilled use of design and aesthetic elements.

The effect of product aesthetics information on website appeal in online shopping

Purpose This research posits that e-vendors can use product aesthetic information (PAI) as a strategic positing tool to shape consumers’ perceptions of e-vendors’ websites. Design/methodology/approach To test this framework, variations on a garment’s color (a crucial element of product aesthetics) are presented to four different treatment groups to determine whether aesthetic treatment influences the perception of the website. Findings The results suggest that consumers who consider a product visually appealing also perceive the e-vendor’s website as useful, resulting in enjoyment of the shopping experience. Positive perceptions lead consumers to form positive attitudes toward the vendor’s website. Originality/value While product aesthetics is well-studied in marketing and psychology, its relevance to the e-commerce domain is relatively underexplored. To fill the void, the paper proposes a theoretical framework that explains how PAI influences buyers’ cognitive and affective evaluations of their online shopping experiences, which in turn shapes their attitudes toward e-vendors’ sites.