Building Credibility for Non-Profit Organizations through Webpage Interface Design

Abstract

Limited research has examined the impact of visual communication on the web and none has explored how wired visual constructions influence an organization's credibility. This research tested a model of visual credibility through simulated web pages for two types of non-profit organizations. Contrary to previous work, a structured, symmetrical design was not uniformly seen as more credible than an organic, asymmetrical design. Further, regardless of the issue, photographs and bright, warm colors were found to confer credibility to an organization. Credibility gained through visual representations was found to engender intended participation in the non-profit organization - particularly among those who had already received positive information about the organization.