Quality of Visual Aesthetic Facets in Designing Christian and Islamic Religious Websites

Abstract

This study considers visual aesthetics as a significant contributor to involving the user in online visual communication. It argues that religious websites as an online environment require attention to the impressive communication process. In this study, we focus on how Christian and Islamic religious websites use the five visual aesthetic facets, including Simplicity, Diversity (visual richness), Colourfulness, Typography, and Image on homepages. To address this issue, 10 Christian and Islamic religious websites are selected from the Alexa top religious websites. Using a descriptive-analytics approach, evaluation of visual aesthetics is conducted through a checklist based on the theoretical and empirical literature reviewed on visual aesthetics and website design. It is included some criteria about visual aesthetic items in web design. The results show that Christian and Islamic religious websites have different types of visual aesthetics. Furthermore, Christian websites with high simplicity, low diversity, paying attention to the colour factor, appropriate typography and high-quality images, received the highest overall aesthetics ratings. While Islamic websites, with low simplicity, low diversity, little attention to the colour and typography characteristics, as well as low-quality images, received the low scores.