> If a reader is aware of a study that quantifies the influence of “good” design (however that is defined) on startup success, I would be interested in having a read.
This is not exactly what you're looking for, but here are two studies concerned with the aesthetic-usability effect. The summary is that aesthetically-pleasing interfaces are judged by users to be easier to use, regardless of their actual usability.
You could also test this yourself on your own software with an A/B test. Use two designs with the same feature set. Use a plain interface for one and a nice interface on the other. Whichever one brings better results according to your business needs is the one you should use.
Personally, I believe context is just as important as beauty in design. If an interface is plain but helps me get the job done faster because my brain is able to concentrate better, I would consider that better design.
But in general, given two designs of equal features, I prefer the one that looks better, however that is defined. I'm not a social psychologist, but one would probably tell you most people have the same preference.
In the second study listed above, the reference section lists this 1980 study: "Defendant's Attractiveness as a Factor in the Outcome of Criminal Trials". Search the web for an abstract. As you might guess from the title, the study found "the more attractive the defendant, the less severe the sentence imposed."
Also, design of emotion things by has don norman has affirmed what you said. People will prefer find visual/aesthetically beautiful things to be more "usable" than its non visual/aesthetically pleasing counterpart.
Universal Principle Design calls this "aesthetic-usability" effect.
This is not exactly what you're looking for, but here are two studies concerned with the aesthetic-usability effect. The summary is that aesthetically-pleasing interfaces are judged by users to be easier to use, regardless of their actual usability.
"Apparent Usability vs. Inherent Usability Experimental analysis on the determinants of the apparent usability" - CHI '95 Proceedings - http://www.sigchi.org/chi95/proceedings/shortppr/mk_bdy.htm
"Aesthetics and Apparent Usability: Empirically Assessing Cultural and Methodological Issues" - CHI '97 Proceedings - http://www.sigchi.org/chi97/proceedings/paper/nt.htm
You could also test this yourself on your own software with an A/B test. Use two designs with the same feature set. Use a plain interface for one and a nice interface on the other. Whichever one brings better results according to your business needs is the one you should use.
Personally, I believe context is just as important as beauty in design. If an interface is plain but helps me get the job done faster because my brain is able to concentrate better, I would consider that better design.
But in general, given two designs of equal features, I prefer the one that looks better, however that is defined. I'm not a social psychologist, but one would probably tell you most people have the same preference.
In the second study listed above, the reference section lists this 1980 study: "Defendant's Attractiveness as a Factor in the Outcome of Criminal Trials". Search the web for an abstract. As you might guess from the title, the study found "the more attractive the defendant, the less severe the sentence imposed."