Visually decomposing vehicle images: Exploring the influence of different aesthetic features on consumer perception of brand

This paper presents a technique to investigate the influence of aesthetic features and brand recognition of vehicles. Appearance has been shown to impact greatly on consumer perception of products and their branding, yet there exist few tools or methods to support reasoning about their influence. A procedure for visually decomposing designs into constituent aesthetic features is proposed. The strategy is applied to a range of saloon cars, and a consumer survey undertaken to establish the significance and potency of individual aesthetic features. Results both validate the decomposition technique and highlight certain aesthetic features that have the greatest influence on brand recognition.

► Relationship between aesthetic features in products’ appearance brand is researched.
► Features influencing brand recognition are highlighted using visual decomposition.
► The front view of vehicles communicates brand most successfully.
► Graphic features such as headlights and radiator grille are most indicative of brand.