Comparison of gender differences in young people’s blog interface preferences and designs

Besides usability, visual aesthetics also strongly influence whether users will continue to trust and use a website. This study examined blogs to determine whether a correlation exists between the gender and visual preferences of young people toward blog interfaces. Few research on gender differences in visual preferences for blog interfaces have been published. Therefore the goal of this research is to determine the different design features of blog interfaces preferred by males and females. Using two Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) algorithms, ALSCAL and PREFMAP analysis, the perceptual space of user blog interface preferences was plotted to explore the hidden perceptual configuration of users as well as examine gender related ideal points.The results showed four typical blog interfaces and three dimensions that affected user preference and the spatial distribution of ideal preference point for each user. Last, gender differences in the blog interface preference of young people were discussed and guidelines were recommended for developers. The results are applicable to blog interface customization in digital device displays.

► The gender differences on blog preferences in the 3D perceptual space are analyzed.
► The three dimensions are labeled as image type, layout style, and text-image ratio.
► The perceptual space shows how users perceive blog interfaces via design features.
► We found four typical blog interfaces, each with its own name and design features.
► The results could be the basis for blog interface customization system on displays.