Visual aesthetics and multisensory engagement in online food delivery services

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to investigate the effects of two visual design principles, repetition and compositional lines, in a food image on purchase intention in the context of a mobile food delivery app and test the effect of crossmodal correspondences between vision and taste as a processing mechanism.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, two experiments were conducted using burgers and iced tea as stimuli.

Findings

The results demonstrate that repetition of an identical food product increases visual appeal for both burgers and iced tea. However, the optimal level of repetition was different between the two products. The findings show that different compositional lines generate different levels of visual appeal and the effects of compositional lines vary between burgers and iced tea. The results also validate the serial mediation effects of vision and taste between design principles and purchase intention.

Originality/value

The findings of this study add substantially to the understanding of visual information processing in food retailing by demonstrating how design principles such as repetition and compositional lines facilitate crossmodal responses between vision and taste and influence purchase decisions in a mobile platform. Also this study provides guidance as to how food retailers use design principles (e.g. repetition and compositional lines) for different products effectively when the food retailers develop visual digital content for a mobile app.

Citation

Lee, J. and Lim, H. (2023), "Visual aesthetics and multisensory engagement in online food delivery services", International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, Vol. 51 No. 8, pp. 975-990. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJRDM-09-2021-0451