Cultural effects on perceived affordances of visual branding

Abstract

Designers encode desirable values into brands and products by using distinctive visual design features such as colours shapes materials etc Consumers 8217 perception of design features is governed by inference mechanisms rooted in experience and culture With few exceptions scant research has focused on cultural biases in consumer responses to visual branding This dissertation examines how cultural factors influence perceived affordances of visual design features in brand logos and products Through two empirical essays this dissertation examines the influence of two distinct cultural factors on perceived affordances of two distinctive design features The first essay Chapter 2 illuminates the impact of interstitial space 8212 a fundamental element of visual design 8212 on consumer inferences regarding safety and autonomy Six studies in the lab and field demonstrate that interstitial space in brand logos characterized by separation of elements potentially signals both vulnerability and autonomy We find that for safety autonomy oriented products interstitial space decreases increases brand preference Furthermore consumer responses to interstitial space in logos is moderated by cultural tightness While interstitial space signals autonomy in loose cultures it signals vulnerability in tight cultures Cultural tightness therefore moderates the effect of high vs low interstitial space in logos on brand preference such that this influence is negative in tight cultures mediated by decrease in brand safety but positive in loose cultures mediated by increase in brand autonomy newline newline