Visual Cues As a Predictor for Better Design: An Integrated Approach to Observers' Evaluation of Aesthetic Beauty

In order to examine theoretical underpinnings of preference for built forms, 129 subjects are asked to rate a series of 9 slides of residential houses depicting a wide range of architectural styles on a 5 point scale, for coherence, complexity, excitement, familiarity, and natural harmony, respectively. Based on Lee's (2002a, 2002b) two previous studies addressing the issue of aesthetic beauty evaluation for man-made creatures (e.g., residential housing scenes), this study summarizes several meaningful findings. As reported by all the subjects, first, both "desire to visit" and "desire to live in" turned out to be a good predictor of preference as the two measures are highly correlated in statistically significant levels (99.9%). People who desire to visit a spot are more likely to desire to live in it. Second, Pearson's correlations showed that coherence is the opposite end of complexity. The more likely a housing setting is hanging together, the less likely it looks to be complex. Overall, though, it is not clear that the two variables work directly in that way, as weighted on preference ratings. That is, coherence and complexity are likely to be totally two independent systems that affect the ratings of preference. Third, both excitement and environmental sensitivity (e.g., harmony of a house with its surrounding nature) most highly account for the preference for various housing scenes, while familiarity has only a little effect on preference ratings. Possibly, people like or dislike a visual thing, no matter how much they are familiar with it. Finally, this study suggested that design professionals could communicate effectively with their clients if sets of visual standards as an appropriate communication tool for better design are properly established.