Why does it raise your sales when your product’s aesthetics compensate the difficulties and frustrations of using and handling it?
Last time, when I was in an Apple store I’ve noticed a strange phenomenon. Two customers were talking about their recently updated operating system, that seemed to them unstable and freezed sometimes. It was very interesting how they talked about it. They talked with empathy and patience like it would be a completly natural phenomenon. However I experienced that the PC users usually talk incredibly frustrated about similar issues.
This phenomenon is caused by the „Aesthetic-Usability Effect”: Aesthetic products are percieved as easier to use than less-aesthetic products.
The effect has been observed in several experiments, and has significant implications regarding acceptance, use, and performance of a product in the eyes of the customer.
Aesthetics has a highly important role how people use a product. Aesthetic products are more effective at fostering positive attitudes than unaesthetic products and make people more tolerant of usability problems.
One of my favorite example for lack of tolerance is the “pay-off” sceene in the Office Space film.
IgenDesign - Product Design and Innovation Consultants 