The Accuracy of Design-based Judgments: A Constructivist Approach

Three studies examine how three factors generic to design, its typicality, clarity, and information content, relate to the accuracy of individual judgments about a brand's quality or personality. Study 1 focuses on interpersonal accuracy and shows that consensus in judgments made by managers and consumers are higher for designs high rather than low in typicality, clarity, and information content. Study 2 focuses on the interpersonal accuracy among consumers and finds again that consensus is higher for high typicality, high clarity, and high information designs. Study 3 focuses on intrapersonal accuracy and shows that – when consumers view designs first from a distance and then close – viewer judgments change less (i.e., are higher in consensual accuracy) for designs low on information content, whereas typicality has no effect. Across the studies, individual design acumen enhanced and category involvement attenuated design effects on accuracy. Further, higher accuracy was associated positively with purchase intention, and corresponded with greater ease and speed of judgment formation.

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► Reports how the visual design of a package relates to the accuracy of judgments about the brand's quality and personality.
► Focuses on typicality, clarity, and information content as important design characteristics.
► Examines the role of individual design acumen and category involvement as relevant viewer characteristics.
► Is based on original data from 117 professionals and 637 consumers in three studies.
► Provides guidelines and supports managerial decision-making on how to create designs for accurately conveying brand meaning.