With respect to inconsistent findings on the interplay between usability and aesthetics, the current paper aimed to further examine\nthe effect of these variables on perceived qualities of a mobile phone prototype. An experiment with four versions of the prototype\nvarying on two factors, (1) usability (high versus low) and (2) aesthetics (high versus low), was conducted with perceived usability\nand perceived beauty, as well as hedonic experience and the systemââ?¬â?¢s appeal as dependent variables. Participants of the experiment\n(N = 88) were instructed to complete four typical tasks with the prototype before assessing its quality. Results showed that the\nmobile phoneââ?¬â?¢s aesthetics does not affect its perceived usability, either directly or indirectly. Instead, results revealed an effect\nof usability on perceived beauty, which supports the ââ?¬Å?what is usable is beautifulââ?¬Â notion instead of ââ?¬Å?what is beautiful is usable.ââ?¬Â\nFurthermore, effects of aesthetics and of usability on hedonic experience in terms of endowing identity and appeal were found,\nindicating that both instrumental (usability) and noninstrumental (beauty) qualities contribute to a positive user experience.
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