Balancing User Engagement and Sustainable Web Design: A Comparative Study of 2D and 3D Hero Sections Using Kansei Engineering

Abstract

With the increasing usage of digital platforms across the globe, the decisions made by designers in regards to web interfaces affect not only the interaction but also the sustainability of digital systems in the long-term. The primary visual entry point is the hero section which is usually the initial section of the page that the visitor looks at. However, the cost that the environment of the world would bear in case of using heavy 3-dimensional (3D) graphics in place of lighter 2-dimensional (2D) elements is rather unknown. This paper explores trade-off, applied to assess the 2D and 3D hero designs on user engagement and sustainability with the help of Kansei Engineering. A total of one hundred respondents (20-30 years old) rated 20 hero designs in ten themes. They rated clarity, immersion, excitement and rofessionalism. The PCA was used to identify the important perceptual attributes used to make decisions. Findings indicate that 3D graphics enhanced immersion and excitement with average scores of more than 4.5 out of 5 and 65 percent of the participants preferring 3D graphics. On the contrary, 2D graphics obtained a higher clarity and professionalism score, averages were 3.2 to 3.9 and were more relied upon in a situation where reliability was important. Although 3D components enhance emotional appeal, they significantly increase the computing capabilities, which is why the consideration of experience and smart design are crucial. These results provide guidelines to designers of how they can maximize user interaction and how they can facilitate sustainable web interfaces.