23.4. The Graphic IdentityIf you're building software that you want people to use, then find yourself an artist.
According to a study performed by the Stanford Persuasive Technology Lab, consumers asked to assess a web site's credibility cited the "design look" of the site more often than any other factor (such as information structure or accuracy) in reaching their conclusions.[10] This study did investigate web sites, not software. However, some of the consumer comments can easily be considered relevant to software as wellvaluing a "positive, professional look" over "put together in 5 minutes" and "cheesy graphics." And in any case, Bugnosis is distributed from a web site, which certainly gives users an impression of the credibility of the organization that produced it.
Note: Designing an appealing look takes very different skills from designing privacy software. Don't make the mistake of adding features and gadgets at the expense of visual coherence. |