Visually decomposing vehicle images: Exploring the influence of different aesthetic features on consumer perception of brand

Ranscombe, Charlie; Hicks, Ben; Mullineux, Glen; Singh, Baljinder · 2011 · OpenAlex-citations

DOI: 10.1016/j.destud.2011.06.006

archive: archived pipeline: cataloged verified

Get this paper ↗ (DOI — opens at the source; we link to it, we don't host it)

Summary

This study addresses the challenge of evaluating visual aesthetics in automotive design, a process currently reliant on subjective intuition despite its significant impact on consumer purchasing decisions and brand perception. With technological differentiation diminishing in the automotive industry, visual styling has become a critical market differentiator. The research aims to develop a tool to support designers by quantifying the relationship between specific aesthetic features and brand recognition. To achieve this, the authors propose a method for visually decomposing vehicle images into constituent aesthetic features, allowing for the isolation and assessment of individual design elements. The methodology involves a visual decomposition strategy derived from interviews with industry professionals and existing literature. Vehicle images were broken down into five categories: Outline (silhouette), Daylight Opening (windows), Muscles (surface creases/character lines), Graphics (headlamps, grilles), and Explicit Detail (logos/badges). These features were represented as 2D line drawings using cubic B-spline curves traced from high-resolution photographs. The strategy was tested via a web-based consumer survey involving 420 participants. The survey presented decomposed images of five competing saloon cars (BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, Honda) in front, side, and rear views. Participants were asked to identify the brand, vehicle segment, and emotional character of the vehicles based on varying combinations of these aesthetic features. The results indicate that brand recognition is not proportional to the total number of features included in an image; rather, specific features exert disproportionate influence. Front views yielded significantly higher correct brand identification rates (58%) compared to side or rear views (41%), confirming that front-facing aesthetics are central to brand identity. Crucially, images containing the "Graphics" feature category elicited the highest number of correct brand responses. Conversely, participants struggled more with identifying vehicle segment and emotional character than brand. The study also found that decompositions with only one or two feature categories often achieved higher recognition rates than those with three or four, suggesting that certain key features are more potent than others. The significance of this work lies in validating a systematic approach to analyzing visual aesthetics, moving beyond subjective evaluation. By demonstrating that specific aesthetic features—particularly graphics in the front view—drive brand recognition, the study provides empirical evidence for design reasoning. This decomposition technique offers a potential tool for designers and managers to make more informed decisions during the styling process, reducing financial risk by aligning visual features with desired brand perceptions. The findings underscore the importance of front-end design elements in communicating brand identity to consumers.

Provenance

The full processing record for this entry. Every stage of this paper's journey through the pipeline is logged — what ran, with which tool and model, how many attempts it took, and when it last completed.

Summary generated by qwen3.6-27b-prismaquant on 2026-06-26; verification: verified.

Topics

Ranked by relevance to this paper. Hover a topic for its definition.

• vehicle conspicuity