Analyzing the User Experience Structure of Websites with Visual Elements

Abstract

Recently, user experience (UX) has played an important role in the design of websites and digital services. Numerous studies have focused on usability and satisfaction, but few have examined the influence of visual elements on different stages of UX. Users form impressions, understand information, feel emotions, and decide their actions when interacting with a website. Understanding the effect of visual design on each stage is important for advancing a user-centered design.This study explores the internal structure of UX by analyzing how users evaluate websites that include static or dynamic visual elements. The static elements include layouts and icons, whereas the dynamic elements include animations and transitions. This study identified the aspects of UX that are influenced by visual design by comparing the evaluations of different types of websites.This study used six Japanese websites: three with primarily static visual elements and three with dynamic elements. A total of 15 participants evaluated all the six websites. Each participant responded to 12 items on a five-point Likert scale. The 12 items corresponded to the stages of UX: Attention is measured by first impression, visual appeal, and content richness; comprehension by readability, clarity, and consistency; emotion by visual familiarity, trust, and comfort; and action by expected behavior, operability, and intention to reuse. Responses were collected anonymously using Microsoft Forms. Based on the numerical data, exploratory factor analysis was performed using Python’s Factor Analysis module.Factor analysis revealed that two main factors explain the UX structure. The first factor includes items related to ease of use, comfort, and expected behavior, which represent the functional and cognitive aspects of the experience. The second factor includes items related to visual appeal, trust, and strong impressions, which represent the emotional and aesthetic aspects of the experience. Although static and dynamic websites share a similar factor structure, differences appear in the descriptive statistics. Static sites scored higher in clarity and operability, whereas dynamic sites scored higher in visual appeal and content richness. At this stage, the results suggest that the UX has a dual structure: one based on predictability and control of site interaction, and another based on emotional engagement. Static visual elements contribute more to comprehension and behavioral stability, whereas dynamic visual elements enhance attention and emotional responses. These patterns indicate that visual design affects UX differently depending on the stage, and that aligning visual presentation with UX stages may improve the overall experience.Future studies should increase the number of participants and conduct larger surveys using websites created under fully controlled conditions. Four original websites were developed to ensure equal content while varying the visual design. One site will include only static elements, one only dynamic elements, one both, and one neither. This controlled approach allows a more precise examination of how visual design shapes the UX. This study contributes to the understanding of visual influences on different UX stages and supports more effective design decisions.

Keywords: User-centered Design, User Interface, Factor Analysis, Emotional Engagement

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008066