Juicy or Dry? A Comparative Study of User Engagement and Information Retention in Interactive Infographics

TL;DR

This study investigates how interactive infographic design styles, specifically 'juiciness,' influence user engagement and information retention, revealing nuanced effects and emphasizing balanced design for optimal user experience.

Contribution

It provides a comparative analysis of juicy versus dry infographic designs, highlighting their differential impacts on engagement and recall, and offers insights for effective infographic design.

Findings

Juicy designs slightly increase user engagement.

Mixed effects on information retention depending on content.

Overly juicy elements may distract or overwhelm users.

Abstract

This study compares the impact of "juiciness" on user engagement and short-term information retention in interactive infographics. Juicy designs generally showed a slight advantage in overall user engagement scores compared to dry designs. Specifically, the juicy version of the Burcalories infographic had the highest engagement score. However, the differences in engagement were often small. Regarding information retention, the results were mixed. The juicy versions of The Daily Routines of Famous Creative People and The Main Chakras infographics showed marginally better average recall and more participants with higher recall. Conversely, the dry version of Burcalories led to more correct answers in multiple-choice questions. The study suggests that while juicy design elements can enhance user engagement and, in some cases, short-term information retention, their effectiveness depends on careful implementation. Excessive juiciness could be overwhelming or distracting, while well-implemented juicy elements contributed to a more entertaining experience. The findings emphasize the importance of balancing engaging feedback with clarity and usability.