The Importance of a Visually Pleasing Digital Library

We all know visuals play a significant role in capturing attention and conveying messages. What is sometimes neglected, however, is the role of visual aesthetics in the workplace.

More specifically, we’ll focus on the perks of having a visually pleasing digital library, as that’s where most people in the CG industry spend their time.

The psychology behind the preference for pretty things

The beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but what happens behind the eye seems to be not so individualistic. Research shows that people tend to find specific qualities like simplicity and symmetry, as well as the arrangement of physical elements in particular ratios and geometries, universally likable.

There is even a theory that suggests that we’re predisposed to consider the forms and patterns pervasive in nature, like fractals, the Golden Ratio, etc., as beautiful because they helped humankind survive. It’s mostly unconscious associations — if a person has a symmetrical face, it indicates good health; if a plant grows in fractal patterns, it’s safe to eat.

Image by Rafael Araujo

Going back to present times where, people spend increasingly more time in front of screens, whether for work or fun. The visual appeal of digital environments becomes essential, as it has the following psychological and practical benefits:

• Enhanced engagement: A well-designed digital library with attractive visuals can captivate users’ attention and encourage them to explore its contents further, increasing productivity.
• Increased asset visibility: If the previews in your library accurately display what the asset is, it’ll be easier for your team to make informed decisions when looking for something specific, thus reducing the time spent searching and improving overall usability.
• Improved mood and morale: A visually pleasing digital environment evokes positive emotions such as joy, calmness, and inspiration, thus making the work experience more pleasant. In contrast, cluttered or unattractive digital libraries may lead to feelings of frustration, stress, and disengagement.
• Facilitated navigation and organization: Design elements like intuitive layouts, clear typography, and consistency enhance the usability of a digital library. All that makes navigating through content, locating assets efficiently, and maintaining a sense of organization easier. It saves time and reduces cognitive load, allowing more focus on the task at hand.
• Company image and perception: A visually appealing digital library can reflect positively on the organization behind it. High-quality design and aesthetics are universally recognized as a sign of commitment to professionalism. That will enhance the company’s perception among staff, clients, and stakeholders, ultimately building trust and credibility.
• Positive impact on health and well-being: A nice-looking digital library can also reduce stress, improve mood, and enhance overall work satisfaction. It can be part of the efforts to create a more positive and supportive workplace culture.

Visual aesthetics have a profound impact on the overall user experience. By prioritizing design excellence and investing in creating a visually appealing environment, companies can reap numerous benefits while nurturing a workplace culture of creativity, collaboration, and well-being.

Moreover, investing resources into transforming your current asset storage into a visually-centric library will streamline the browsing experience, enabling users to assess the suitability of the content and make informed decisions more quickly, ultimately, enhancing discoverability.

All of that is especially true in the case of creative studios, as artists tend to work better with visual information, and it’s important for them to have a good looking and functional library.

How to make your digital library more visually pleasing?

Organizing your digital library will be much easier and more efficient with the help of a Digital Asset Management solution like Connecter. The ability to assign metadata to your assets and apply a hierarchical tagging structure will prove invaluable in time.

But among the numerous handy features, each designed to serve a unique purpose and support a specific workflow, you’ll also find you can assign custom previews to your assets. That way, you can build the visually aesthetic library we talked about.

Here are some general tips and guidelines you can follow when getting started:

• Use high-quality images: Ensure the custom previews you assign to your assets are high quality. Use images with vibrant colors, crisp details, and high resolution to make a strong visual impact, if possible.
• Try to keep a consistent style: Maintaining a consistent visual style throughout your digital library will be difficult and, at times, impossible, so that’s not a must. However, choose images that complement each other in terms of color scheme, composition, and overall aesthetic when applicable to create a cohesive look and feel.
• Select relevant content: That’s the most important part, as you shouldn’t prioritize aesthetics over functionality. Custom previews should provide a clear idea of the asset so your team can make informed decisions about which resources to access.
• Listen to user feedback: Encourage your team members to provide feedback on the strategies for assigning custom previews to improve and refine your digital library continuously. Pay attention to their preferences and adjust the practices accordingly to meet their needs and expectations better.

Building a diverse collection of assets from various marketplaces and providers, alongside those crafted by your own team, inevitably results in an inconsistent appearance. Each provider offers previews tailored to their platform’s specifications, resulting in a mix of styles, resolutions, and presentations.

That leads us to the necessity to assign custom previews, so you can ensure a cohesive, but also functional look that can help minimize asset retrieval time and get you a better overview of the available assets. Investing time in enhancing the library’s appearance will pay off when your team has a much more functional library to work with.

Wrap up

A visually appealing digital library can have a significant impact on engagement, morale, and productivity in the workplace. To achieve this, you’ll need a Digital Asset Management (DAM) solution like Connecter.

You should focus on using high-quality images and consistent style without compromising functionality to enhance asset discoverability and retrieval, as well as foster a positive and productive environment.

Stay tuned as in the following weeks we’ll share some practical advice on how to use Connecter’s features to transform your digital library into the good-looking and functional idea we outlined.

If you’re looking for a way to take control of your digital assets, our DAM might be a good fit for your needs. Contact our support team to find out more about its organizational and collaboration features.

Disclaimer: Some of the images in the article are generated by DALL-E.