Browsing by Subject "Consumer behavior"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Brand and usability in content-intensive websites
    (2014-07-11) Yang, Tao; Bolchini, Davide; Pfaff, Mark; MacDorman, Karl F.; Cox, Anthony D.
    Our connections to the digital world are invoked by brands, but the intersection of branding and interaction design is still an under-investigated area. Particularly, current websites are designed not only to support essential user tasks, but also to communicate an institution's intended brand values and traits. What we do not yet know, however, is which design factors affect which aspect of a brand. To demystify this issue, three sub-projects were conducted. The first project developed a systematic approach for evaluating the branding effectiveness of content-intensive websites (BREW). BREW gauges users' brand perceptions on four well-known branding constructs: brand as product, brand as organization, user image, and brand as person. It also provides rich guidelines for eBranding researchers in regard to planning and executing a user study and making improvement recommendations based on the study results. The second project offered a standardized perceived usability questionnaire entitled DEEP (design-oriented evaluation of perceived web usability). DEEP captures the perceived website usability on five design-oriented dimensions: content, information architecture, navigation, layout consistency, and visual guidance. While existing questionnaires assess more holistic concepts, such as ease-of-use and learnability, DEEP can more transparently reveal where the problem actually lies. Moreover, DEEP suggests that the two most critical and reliable usability dimensions are interface consistency and visual guidance. Capitalizing on the BREW approach and the findings from DEEP, a controlled experiment (N=261) was conducted by manipulating interface consistency and visual guidance of an anonymized university website to see how these variables may affect the university's image. Unexpectedly, consistency did not significantly predict brand image, while the effect of visual guidance on brand perception showed a remarkable gender difference. When visual guidance was significantly worsened, females became much less satisfied with the university in terms of brand as product (e.g., teaching and research quality) and user image (e.g., students' characteristics). In contrast, males' perceptions of the university's brand image stayed the same in most circumstances. The reason for this gender difference was revealed through a further path analysis and a follow-up interview, which inspired new research directions to unpack even more the nexus between branding and interaction design.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Discovering Provider Awareness of Mobility Assistive Technologies and Clinical Guidelines- A Comparative Analysis with Consumer Responses
    (Wolters Kluwer, 2024) Lee, Chang Dae; Peterson, Sara; Joseph, James; McKernan, Gina; Cooper, Rosemarie; Koontz, Alicia M.; Dicianno, Brad E.; Cooper, Rory A.; Occupational Therapy, School of Health and Human Sciences
    Objective: This study aims to enhance the accessibility and quality of mobility-assistive technology by investigating and bridging knowledge gaps between mobility-assistive technology providers and consumers with ambulatory limitations. Design: A survey was conducted among mobility-assistive technology providers in the United States, consisting of sections on awareness, knowledge importance and desire, and knowledge sources. The responses were compared to data collected from consumers in a previous study. Results: A total of 144 mobility-assistive technology providers participated, with 60% having received academic or professional training in relevant fields. Analysis revealed significant knowledge gaps between providers and consumers, particularly in assistive technology assessment tools and knowledge sources. Moderate gaps were also observed in areas such as clinical practice guidelines, desired mobility-assistive technology information, and knowledge sources. However, the gaps in other areas were relatively small. Conclusions: This study highlights the knowledge gaps between mobility-assistive technology providers and consumers, hindering the optimal utilization and fulfillment of user needs. Providers possess valuable information that consumers may lack, positioning them as primary knowledge sources. Addressing these gaps through targeted interventions, improved communication channels, and enhanced education can enhance the utilization of mobility-assistive technology and improve outcomes for individuals with ambulatory limitations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Technology in Retail: Using Participatory Design to Enhance Shopping Experiences for Female Consumers
    (2013) Davis, Ashley; Napier, Pamela; Ganci, Aaron; Ristau, Jacob
    Today’s consumers currently face an unprecedented number of seemingly homogeneous product alternatives. Because of the overwhelming number of product options, consumers are experiencing increased negative psychological consequences such as increased regret, decreased product and life satisfaction, lower self-esteem, and less self-control (e.g., Baumeister and Vohs 2003; Carmon et al. 2003; Schwartz et al. 2002). To address these concerns, this paper will explore how a participatory design approach can be applied to understand and remedy issues within the landscape of brick-and-mortar retail. Rather than taking a traditional marketing approach to address concerns around retail experiences, this paper will investigate how design thinking can more appropriately uncover latent consumer needs and thus design a more applicable solution. This change in approach and process is due to the expectations that design thinking and participatory design is more suitably tailored to defining expectations, uncovering insights, and designing solutions that meet latent user needs. Additionally, a revolution is occurring where consumers no longer want to be passive recipients of consumer goods; they want to be directly involved in the creation of goods and services (Sanders 2006). In order to satisfy the changing needs of individuals, both in their roles as consumers and as everyday people, this paper will explore the consequences of design research on traditional retail experiences. By including everyday people throughout the design process, this project will aim to enhance shopping experiences by making it easier to reach satisfactory decisions. Because of gender specific variables such as time and energy spent shopping, level of involvement, and enjoyment felt from shopping, this project will comprise an all-female group of participants, including both female shoppers and retailers/staff. To answer the proposed research question, this Master’s Thesis paper will begin by presenting a deep understanding of current research on consumer behavior. This knowledge will be applied throughout the design process both as a limitation when selecting design research methods and as a lens for interpreting collected data. Through both primary and secondary research, the paper will present insights into consumer behavior and retail experiences. These insights will then be used to craft ideas for an interactive consumer decision aid that will enhance retail experiences. Through iteration, this paper will then present a conceptual solution that will aid shoppers in making it easier to reach decisions and make rational product choices. By supporting consumer’s ability to make rational decisions, this paper will highlight how increased consumer satisfaction can improve both the relationship quality and the product/product choice quality, determinants of consumer satisfaction. By improving consumer satisfaction, this paper asserts that the final outcome will be able to increase a consumer’s level of trust and commitment in a retailer. This will allow the solution to serve as an aid to retailers in building loyalty, boosting retention rates, differentiating services, and staying competitive, thereby driving sales and improving revenue. By increasing revenue for retailers and improving satisfaction for consumers, the outcome of this project can be a beneficial artifact for both parties of the retail experience.