Aesthetics in the Adoption of Information and Communication Technology

Borrowing from Davis’ (1989) Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), Venkatesh and Morris (2000) TAM2 and Kant’s (1790) Theory of Aesthetics; we aim to expand on the contributions and frameworks provided by the literature by testing the nomological relationships between aesthetic judgment, user’s personality and the adoption of innovation in Information and Communication Technology (ICT). This study contributes an exploratory scale for the measurement of aesthetics in ICT. Survey data is utilized to explain perceived aesthetics, moderated by aesthetic centrality of a user, in addition to perceived usefulness, as dimensions of an ICT product that influence adoption intent. Preliminary results also show a weakening influence of social norms, non-significant ease of use indicators. We propose a shift in the paradigm of adoption of ICT innovation in which design, brand affinity and usefulness define the competitiveness of an ICT device in today’s market.