Design with Subtle Cues: Visual Expression of Connectedness and Its Downstream Effects.

Abstract

This dissertation consists of three essays that investigate how social harmony is manifest in actual design practice (in the first essay) and how design promotes harmonious social interaction (in the second and third essays). The first essay examines cultural differences in how actual design practice reflects social harmony. It includes a content analysis and a survey to analyze Korean and US corporate logos. The results indicate that Korean logos are perceived as more harmonious in terms of design principles as well as connoted meaning. The second essay focuses on developing and testing visual cues that promote feelings of social connectedness. It identifies formal characteristics representing the concept of connectedness (i.e., connectedness cues) by conducting a logo design task, and tests the effect of connectedness cues on participants’ self-descriptions. The results show that perceiving connectedness cues increases the extent to which one describes the self as socially interdependent. The third essay investigates the effect of connectedness cues on downstream behavior. In particular, it examines how connectedness cues and social norms interact to influence cooperative behavior in public goods games. The results suggest that connectedness cues enhance cooperation in situations when others are cooperative. This dissertation provides implications for persuasive design strategies that appeal to different cultures and promote prosocial behavior.