Towards Understanding the Influence of Nature Imagery in User Interface Design: A Review of the Literature

Nature imagery is frequently employed as a design element to improve how users experience interactions with computerized artifacts such as websites and mobile apps. However, literature on the influence of such imagery on human perception and behavior is scant and highly fragmented. In this paper, we develop a theoretical framework that integrates the different pathways for how nature imagery embedded in user interface design may affect user perception and behavior. Building on this framework, we synthesize the results of existing literature on how humans perceive nature imagery and the potential cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses. By providing a concise overview of key theories and results of the extant literature, this study contributes to the knowledge base of (1) scholars who theorize on the impact of nature imagery on user perception and behavior and (2) systems designers who intend to utilize nature imagery in their user interfaces

Setting the e-Commerce Scene: A Qualitative Investigation of the Use of Nature Imagery in User Interface Design

User experience designers often employ natural landscapes as background imagery in e-commerce user interfaces (UI). However, at this stage, there is only limited work on how nature imagery in UI design affects user perception and behaviour. In this paper, we present a qualitative study involving semi-structured interviews into the use of nature imagery in UI design. Our study builds on theories in environmental psychology and seeks to develop a theoretical framework for the role of nature imagery in user perception and behaviour. Further, building on the expertise of user experience practitioners and end users, we seek to develop theoretically-grounded design guidelines for the capture, selection, and integration of nature imagery in e-commerce UI designs

UUM Network Traffic Analysis and Users' Website Preferences

The current world is experiencing a revolution in Internet services and networking; a revolution that provided and continues to provide varying features and invaluable tools to computer networks. On the other hand, several problems are being faced by users and global organizations in networking including lack of bandwidth and packet loss during transmission which impacts Internet efficiency and the performance of network. These issues can be rectified through the measurement and analysis of the network’s performance. Moreover, for network performance enhancement, it is imperative to study users’ behaviour. Therefore, the main objectives of the present study are to identify UUM network performance through Internet traffic and to highlight users’ behaviour. A total of three methodological steps are carried out to meet the objectives of the study; the first one is the data collection phase whereby the source for data collection is taken from the presently used main distributed switch in an hour for each working day in a duration of one week; the second one is the data analysis phase where Wireshark is used to provide the statistics of traffic and finally; the third phase is the data presentation where Microsoft Excel is utilized to present data. Study findings presents valuable information of network bandwidth, data loss rates and Ethernet traffic distribution, in addition to the fact that is social websites are the most websites used in UUM. These findings leads to facilitate the enhancement of UUM network performance and Internet bandwidth strategies

The Impact of TikTok UGC Videos on Online Purchase Intention: Mediating Role of Cognitive States

Background: User-Generated Content (UGC) videos have received considerable attention in recent years thanks to their great potential for buyers and sellers. However, the effect of this content on consumer behavior remains unclear, especially in the context of developing countries (e.g., Vietnam). By applying the Stimulus-Organism-Response model (S-O-R model), this paper examines the effect of UGC videos on online purchase intention. Moreover, the mediating role of cognitive responses, consisting of perceived credibility, perceived diagnosticity, and mental imagery, is also examined to offer valuable insights to businesses, enabling them to leverage and effectively promote the trends of UGC videos. Method: A convenience sampling method was employed to collect the data. A total of 318 valid respondents participated in this survey. The data was analyzed with the Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling method (PLS-SEM). Results: The findings show that UGC videos have a direct impact on online purchase intention. This paper also verified that cognitive states mediate the relationship between stimuli and subsequent behavioral intentions. Conclusion: Our research findings enrich the literature on consumer’s online purchase intentions by applying the S-O-R framework by highlighting the role of cognitive responses, and improving generalizability by contributing additional consumer behavior findings in developing Asian nations. Moreover, this paper offers businesses insights into the formation of customers\u27 purchase intentions while watching UGC videos. Based on that, this paper raises practical recommendations regarding promoting the UGC video trend and creating UGC videos effectively to improve the cognitive states perceived by customers, including credibility, diagnostic value, and mental imagery

UNDERSTANDING THE IMPACT OF INSTAGRAM SPONSORED ADS: MESSAGE EXPLICITNESS AND MODERATING FACTORS ON CONSUMER PERCEPTION AND BEHAVIOR

This experimental study aims to explore how Instagram sponsored advertisements impact consumer perception and behaviors, focusing on the overarching Persuasion Knowledge Model (PKM) theory. The study consists of two distinct experiments, each examining different moderators while maintaining a central emphasis on message explicitness and its interaction with other variables. In Study 1, participants were exposed to Instagram sponsored ads featuring different levels of message explicitness (explicit vs. implicit) and varying product types (utilitarian vs. hedonic). The main outcome variable assessed was immediate purchase intent. The mediators, persuasion knowledge, and perceived deceptiveness, were also analyzed to understand their impact on the correlation between message explicitness, product type, and purchase intent. The results supported the impact of perceived deceptiveness on immediate purchase intent. In Study 2, the focus remained on message explicitness (explicit vs. implicit), but the moderator shifted to ad skepticism, a continuous variable. Like the first study, the analysis included mediation by persuasion knowledge and perceived deceptiveness. The findings revealed a noteworthy difference between explicit and implicit messages concerning perceived deceptiveness. Both studies employed random participant assignment to distinct experimental conditions to ensure unbiased outcomes. Data collection occurred through online surveys, and a total of 298 participants took part in the study. The discoveries from this dissertation furnish valuable insights into the efficacy of Instagram sponsored ads and illuminate the significance of message explicitness and moderating factors in shaping consumer perceptions and behaviors. The findings of the study enhance our understanding of PKM in the realm of social media sponsored advertising, providing meaningful guidance to marketers and advertisers in crafting more impactful and targeted ad campaigns across Instagram and other social platforms. Ultimately, this research aids in advancing knowledge within the realm of sponsored advertising on social media and its impact on consumer behavior

The Role of Sense of Community in Online Brand Social Networking Sites

This study was designed to explore the phenomenon of social commerce marketing in relation to consumer-brand relationship development. The specific research objective were as follows: (a) to identify multiple factors motivating consumers to have sense of community in the context of brand social networking sites; (b) to investigate the effects of general connection between consumers and the brand on developing a sense of online brand community in social networking site-based brand communities; (c) to examine potential outcomes of having a sense of online brand community in brand social networking sites such as brand commitment, advocacy, and loyalty; (d) to investigate whether levels of participation in brand social networking site strengthens the relationship between a sense of online brand community and relational outcomes such as brand commitment. Theoretical foundations from sense of community (i.e., sense of psychological community), social identity theory, and social capital theory were used to support and test a proposed model. This research employed an online self-administered survey method. A total of 617 complete responses were collected from consumer panels across United States. The analyses of responses were based on a two-step approach: confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling. Through confirmatory factor analyses with the measurement model development, each construct was examined carefully. The results from the structural model suggested that perceived social support and consumer-brand relationship were important drivers of relationship mediators (i.e., sense of online brand community), which led to relational outcomes (i.e., brand commitment, brand preference, brand advocacy, and behavioral loyalty). However, need for affiliation did not have impact on developing a sense of online brand community. In addition, the levels of engagement of in brand social networking sites strengthened the relationship between sense of online brand community and brand commitment. From the results, academic and managerial implications were suggested, and suggestions for future research were presented

a case study of Bali

Thesis(Master) -- KDI School: Master of Development Policy, 2020Tourism is an important industry globally and a critical industry for Indonesia. Despite the importance of tourism to Indonesia’s economy, there is a general view that the industry has untapped potential. Given Indonesia’s prodigious tourism resources and strategic geographical location, it fails to draw the highest possible tourist numbers and receipts. Government has implemented some ambitious and strategic efforts to boost the number of foreign tourists to Indonesia. However, the country still lags behind its regional competitors in number of foreign tourists and receipts. Therefore, this study investigates information sources, both online and offline, as the lifeblood of the travel and tourism industry. Using factor analysis, information source attributes were examined to discover the rationale behind the selection of sources by international tourists. This paper also analyzed which sources used and constructed destination attributes, in acknowledgement of the significance of a destination image as a factor of travel decision making. This research focuses on international tourists and uses Bali as the case study. Results indicate that international tourists use both online and offline sources. The findings also indicate that the main reasons for the selection of sources are the interactivity and usergenerated content of sources. The results of this research can be used in tourism policy and marketing strategies by central and local governments as well as tourism communities.I. Introduction II. Literature Review III. Methodology IV. Data Analysis V. ConclusionsmasterpublishedElfridanche Widya S. PARDED

Semantic discovery and reuse of business process patterns

Patterns currently play an important role in modern information systems (IS) development and their use has mainly been restricted to the design and implementation phases of the development lifecycle. Given the increasing significance of business modelling in IS development, patterns have the potential of providing a viable solution for promoting reusability of recurrent generalized models in the very early stages of development. As a statement of research-in-progress this paper focuses on business process patterns and proposes an initial methodological framework for the discovery and reuse of business process patterns within the IS development lifecycle. The framework borrows ideas from the domain engineering literature and proposes the use of semantics to drive both the discovery of patterns as well as their reuse

Comparing the Effects of User Generated Video Reviews and Brand Generated Advertisements on Consumer Decisions on YouTube

This empirical study examines the effects of user generated vlogs (UGV) versus brand generated ads (BGA) on consumer decisions on YouTube. UGV refers to any type of review video content about brands or products, created and published by users on YouTube. BGA refers to brand generated advertisements on YouTube. Guided by the elaboration likelihood model of persuasion, this online experimental research involved a 2 (source: UGV versus BGA) X 2 (involvement: high versus low) X 2 (gender: male versus female) between-subjects research design. Results showed that UGV elicited significantly greater effects on consumer brand attitudes and purchase intentions than BGA, when involvement was high. No significant gender differences were observed. In a constantly growing YouTube influencer economy, this study offers important theoretical and managerial implications

The effect of User-Generated Content to promote tourism destinations : the importance of perceived authenticity and trust

Nowadays, choosing the right travel destination is not easy. Destinations are numerous, as well as the information available, thanks to Internet and the User-Generated Content shared. Moreover, as a shift towards experiential tourism is taking place, accommodation alone is no longer enough to create an experience. A search for authenticity grows, together with the need to trust that what is advertised is actually real. This thesis aims to examine if destinations can increase their competitive advantage if the destination is advertised with UGC and if the effect on travel and sharing intention would be grater due to the perceived authenticity and trust of the content presented. The hypotheses were tested through an online experimental study using a promotional video created by the firms’ professional or by travellers. The data have been collected through MTurk measuring perceptions of authenticity, trust and travelling and WOM intentions. A significant higher preference for travelling and recommend were showed when the promotional ad was UGC and a mediation effect was found both for trust and authenticity. Four types of travellers were identified, and the perceived authenticity was found to be higher for the Drifter just compared to the Individual Mass Tourist. Our findings can assist travel companies and tourism bodies to promote their destinations by using UGC in their marketing strategy. Such strategies are perceived as more authentic and overcome consumers mistrust in firm generated marketing communications consequently increasing the intention to visit and to recommend. Limitations and future research are also discussed.Hoje em dia, escolher o destino de viagem certo não é fácil. Os destinos são numerosos, assim como a informação disponível, graças à Internet e ao Conteúdo Gerado pelo Utilizador. Além disso, como está a ocorrer uma mudança para o turismo experimental, o alojamento por si só já não é suficiente para criar uma experiência. A procura da autenticidade cresce, juntamente com a necessidade de confiar que o que é anunciado é real. Esta tese visa examinar se os destinos podem aumentar a sua vantagem competitiva se anunciado com a UGC e se o efeito sobre as viagens e a intenção de partilha seria maior, devido à perceção da autenticidade e confiança no conteúdo apresentado. As hipóteses foram testadas através de um estudo experimental em linha utilizando um vídeo promocional criado pelo profissional da empresa ou por viajantes. Os dados foram recolhidos através do MTurk. Foi demonstrada uma preferência significativamente maior por viajar e recomendar quando o anúncio promocional era UGC e foi encontrado um efeito de mediação tanto para a confiança como para a autenticidade. Foram identificados quatro tipos de viajantes, e a percepção da autenticidade foi mais elevada para The Drifter apenas em comparação com Individual Mass Tourist. As nossas conclusões podem ajudar as empresas de viagens e os organismos turísticos a promover os seus destinos, utilizando a UGC na sua estratégia de marketing. As limitações e a investigação futura são também discutidas