擬真vs.扁平──行動召喚按鈕設計風格與使用模式對於橫幅廣告點擊的影響

Skeuomorphic vs. Flat Design: The Style of the Call-to-Action Button and the Usage Mode affect Banner Ad Click-Through

"近年使用者介面設計風格由擬真轉為強調簡約的扁平設計風格，然而簡約的扁平介面不易提供如同擬真（skeuomorphic）設計中的預設用途（affordance）線索，簡約的訊息也可能減少互動過程中的視覺投入，這是否以及會如何影響使用者對於介面的互動行為？特別是在網頁橫幅廣告的應用領域中，使用者的點擊行為攸關廣告的進一步訊息提供以及廣告績效／成本計算，廣告中慣見的行動召喚（call to action, CTA）訊息按鈕介面設計風格（扁平vs.擬真），如果的確影響點擊行為與其背後的心理歷程，那麼在理論與實務上都將有重要的意涵。為探究前述議題及其適用的情境脈絡，本研究要求實驗參與者進行模擬的網頁文章閱讀任務（文章中穿插橫幅廣告），實驗操弄廣告中CTA按鈕設計風格以及閱讀時的使用模式，並作眼動追蹤（eye tracking），探討設計風格的效果是否來自使用者的心理模擬（mental simulation）以及設計導致的視覺（注意力）投注。結果發現擬真CTA按鈕的廣告，其點擊率以及廣告區域的總凝視時間皆高於扁平CTA按鈕的廣告，且總凝視時間顯著中介設計風格的效果，相關效果出現在隨意瀏覽情境，而非目標導向瀏覽情境。這些發現支持視覺投入在使用者與介面互動過程中的角色，也顯示使用者心理與行為歷程的深入理解有助於優化設計以達成商業目標。"

Recently user interface design style moves from skeuomorphic towards flat design emphasizing minimalism. The flat user interface design style, however, does not provide the affordance cues as readily as the skeuomorphic design and may also reduce visual interactions. It is not clear whether this difference may result in an effect on user clicking behavior on UI elements. Of particular interest is the usage of UI elements in web page banner ads, the estimation of ad performance and cost hinges on users' click through behavior. Important theoretical and practical implications are expected if the click through behavior and underlying psychological processes are indeed affected by the UI design for the call the action (CTA) information in banner ads. We conducted a simulated webpage reading experiment during which the eye position was tracked. The design of the CTA button in banner ads was manipulated to explore its effect on ad click-through behavior and whether this effect was due to users' mental simulation lengthening visual attentional deployment. The click-through rate and the total fixation duration (on ad) were both higher for ads comprising the skeuomorphic than the flat CTA buttons. Furthermore, these effects applied to the leisure viewing but not target directed viewing condition. The total fixation duration also significantly mediated the effect of UI design style. Current findings show how deep understandings of user behavior may enhance design optimization for business goal achievement.