Defended PhD in Tallinn University on 1st of June 2018.

The thesis [Aesthetics in Interaction Design] intends to explain aesthetic perceptions during human interactions with technology. The author assumes that aesthetics in HCI consists of two inseparable types of beauty: aesthetics of appearance and aesthetics of interaction. Aesthetics of appearance has been addressed in a large number of earlier works in various fields of activities, such as art, design, business and many more. Aesthetics of interaction, however, has been addressed only by relatively few studies in the field of HCI. The current thesis handles aesthetics as an experience, which is a part of the overall user experience (UX). The research is inspired by earlier works on experiential attributes, connecting UX to product features. The main study of the thesis explores aesthetic experiences using a repertory grid technique with participants, selected from lay persons. The outcome of the thesis were 23 aesthetic categories of interaction. The thesis finally demonstrates the goodness of the aesthetic categories. Most of the categories were found related to users’ aesthetic perceptions during interactions with two popular types of devices: smart phones and laptop computers. At the same time the categories were related to aesthetics of interaction rather than aesthetics of appearance.