Aesthetic-Usability Effect

RTM is a good lookin’ web app! It has a clean, uncluttered interface, just the right amount of colour and a cute, ‘reminds me of when I was young’ type cow head logo in the upper-left corner of the main display. Though these features don’t directly impact the tool’s primary functions –it would work just fine without them – they make RTM look more appealing and easy to use.

For example, the first screenshot below shows the applications main interface in its original form. The second shows the same interface without the style-sheet enabled. Not surprisingly, the second, no style- sheet version of RTM looks unappealing, confusing and even difficult to use. This is a perfect example of the Aesthetic-Usability Effect.

First Screenshot (CSS Style-sheet Enabled):


Second Screenshot (CSS Style-sheet Disabled):