Innovative study by Ideal Standard: How design and function impact our perception of beauty
Ideal Standard has revealed the results of a pioneering neuroscientific study into how the brain perceives and interprets beauty. More specifically the research, which used a combination of EEG scans and online studies, examined the conflict the brain experiences when presented with aesthetically pleasing but functionally poor products; a phenomenon newly termed ‘aesthetic dissonance’.
The research was commissioned by Ideal Standard and conducted by Mindlab, a neurological research facility based in Brighton, England. The results of the responses of over 1,400 individuals were analysed by neuroscientist Dr Jack Lewis; an expert in brain imaging.
“Logically there should be no connection between how beautiful we consider an object and how well that object functions,” said Dr Lewis. “But what this study shows is that when an object we rate as beautiful turns out to perform poorly, the level of electrical activity in the part of the brain associated with aesthetic appreciation reduces. So if a beautiful object lets us down, we don’t consider it as beautiful. If an ordinary looking product works well, we consider it more aesthetically pleasing. We’re calling this phenomenon ‘aesthetic dissonance’,” said Dr Lewis. “It describes what happens in the brain when there is a conflict between perceptions of beauty and experience of function.”
The results have a significant impact on the design community. “What designers have always intuitively understood - that there is an intimate relationship between the functionality of a product and our aesthetic appreciation of it - has now been established scientifically” says Dick Powell, world-renowned and award winning co-founder of leading design company Seymourpowell. “The research will empower manufacturers and brands to challenge the aesthetic recommendations of their designers if those recommendations compromise functionality. The knowledge will drive the industry forward to create products that work just as beautifully as they look.”
Jordi Cazorla, Vice President - Commercial at Ideal Standard International, said: “At Ideal Standard we have always sought to marry together form with function. This study, for the first time, demonstrates how form and function interact in the mind of the product user. “Commissioning the research demonstrates our continued commitment to delivering products that have style that is matched by performance, offering ‘A Beautiful Use of Space’.”
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