Searching for balance in aesthetic pleasure in interaction

In this paper, we investigate the interplay between unity-variety, and novelty-typicality in relation to the beauty experienced in the movements performed while interacting with a product. We conducted a study that explored how these factors affect the aesthetic pleasure elicited from interaction. Results showed that novelty and typicality jointly explained aesthetic pleasure: People derive aesthetic pleasure from interactions that offer a feeling of doing things in a new way within the boundaries of familiarity. Regarding unity-in-variety, we found out that it does not matter how varied the interaction with a product is, as long as this variety combines into a unified, coherent experience of the interaction. The findings are discussed in light of a dual impulses model of aesthetic experience and aesthetics principles of interaction design.