The Influence of Layout on the Perceived Tone of News Articles

Are design arguments just a matter of taste, or does layout affect how readers understand news stories? The question applies broadly to all media. This experiment measured whether respondents found horizontal layout more tranquil and whether their responses depended on the content. Horizontal layouts did relate to measures of comfort and human interest. Presented with a horizontal layout, respondents rated an article more comforting, pleasant, light, and so forth. The effects depended on the content, interacting with form in complex ways. The results show that design decisions matter and should be taken with care. In the media, form is content.