The purpose of this study was twofold. First, extent of the influence of flyer layouts on user impressions was investigated. Data were collected from 425 non-designers. The participants, consisting of eight groups of men and women between the ages of 20 and 50, were shown 60 flyers (12 layouts × five other design features) of a piano concert on a computer screen. The percentage of layout contribution to user impression, estimated by the ranges of category scores, was under 20%. This result indicates that layouts have a relatively small influence on impressions. Second, using dual scaling, layouts which had an influence on the variety of impressions was confirmed. The analysis produced X/Y dimensions where the first dimension (X-axis) indicated “formal-casual” and the second dimension (Y-axis) indicated “powerful-delicate.” It was suggested that the degree of alignment enhanced a formal impression, while the degree of symmetry enhanced a powerful impression.

 

Key words: Layout, flyer, user impression, document design.