Visual aesthetics and multisensory engagement in online food delivery services

Abstract

PurposeThis 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/approachIn this study, two experiments were conducted using burgers and iced tea as stimuli.FindingsThe 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/valueThe 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.