For many people images are a medium preferable to text and yet, with the exception of
star ratings, most formats for conventional computer mediated feedback focus on text.
This thesis develops a new method of crowd feedback for designers based on images.
Visual summaries are generated from a crowd’s feedback images chosen in response to
a design. The summaries provide the designer with impressionistic and inspiring visual
feedback. The thesis sets out the motivation for this new method, describes the
development of perceptually organised image sets and a summarisation algorithm to
implement it. Evaluation studies are reported which, through a mixed methods
approach, provide evidence of the validity and potential of the new image-based
feedback method.
It is concluded that the visual feedback method would be more appealing than text for
that section of the population who may be of a visual cognitive style. Indeed the
evaluation studies are evidence that such users believe images are as good as text when
communicating their emotional reaction about a design. Designer participants reported
being inspired by the visual feedback where, comparably, they were not inspired by
text. They also reported that the feedback can represent the perceived mood in their
designs, and that they would be enthusiastic users of a service offering this new form of
visual design feedback
