On se consacre dans ce travail à des aspects mal pris en compte par la méthodologie classique de la carte thématique. On a tout d’abord, en première partie, revisité les connaissances sur la manière dont la carte était perçue, interprétée puis comprise, en mobilisant les domaines de la perception visuelle et de la sémiotique. La sémiotique visuelle constitue une passerelle entre l’étude de la signification des formes visuelles, importante en cartographie, et les approches esthétiques qui mobilisent ces signes visuels selon des modalités bien plus variées. La deuxième partie s’est intéressée successivement à plusieurs approches disciplinaires. L’ontologie esthétique nous a apporté une définition utile, mais surtout une analyse de la génération des propriétés esthétiques. L’iconographie a ensuite permis de décrire le fonctionnement sémiotique visuel. Enfin, on a mis à profit les travaux de certains artistes et théoriciens du design graphique qui ont exploré la relation entre formes graphiques et propriétés esthétiques. La troisième partie propose une synthèse des idées-forces des chapitres précédents en un ensemble de propositions, dont l’efficacité a été testée par enquête auprès de 850 géographes. On étudie ensuite plus longuement la mise en pratique de deux idées : la visualisation de différentes complexités visuelles internes et la visualisation des proportions et des relations colorées d’une carte. Ce travail aboutit à justifier le développement de nouvelles approches dans la méthodologie de la cartographie thématique, en allant emprunter des concepts, des idées, des méthodes d’analyse et des outils d’évaluation de l’image-carte à des disciplines proches. / We dedicated this work to issues inadequately addressed by the standard methodology of the thematic map. In the first part, we revisited the knowledge about how the map was perceived, interpreted and understood by mobilizing the domains of visual perception and semiotics. Visual semiotics provides a bridge between the study of the meaning of visual forms, important in mapping, and aesthetic approaches that mobilize these visual signs in a much more varied manner. The second part focused successively on several disciplinary approaches. The aesthetics ontology gave us a useful definition, but also an analysis of the generation of aesthetic properties. Iconography provided then the means to describe the semiotical operation. Finally, we took into account the work of some artists and graphic design theorists who have explored the relationship between graphic forms and aesthetic properties. The third section provides a summary of the key ideas of the previous chapters formalized into a set of propositions, whose effectiveness has been tested by surveying 850 geographers. We examine then more specifically the implementation of two ideas: the visualization of different internal visual complexities and the visualization of the colors proportions and relationships on a map. This work leads to justify the development of new approaches to the methodology of thematic mapping, by borrowing concepts, ideas, methods of analysis and assessment tools of the map-image from related disciplines.

The relationship between the perceived usability of a beautiful interface and of an ugly interface is analyzed in this study. This study correlates the visual aesthetics of the website with perceived usability. This research is performed to know the significance of visual aesthetics on perceived usability. A website is designed with two interfaces. One interface is designed by following design guidelines with respect to usability and the other interface is designed without following guidelines. To measure the aesthetic value of these website interfaces, visual aspect questionnaire is used in classical aesthetic sense. After drawing a conclusion on aesthetic values i.e. beautiful interface and of an ugly interface, a survey performed using System Usability Scale (SUS scale) to measure the perceived usability of the beautiful interface and an ugly interface of the website. From the results we found that perceived usability of the beautiful interface is significantly higher than the ugly interface. System Usability Scale turns out sensitive to measure the beauty of the website. Results also show that the design principles have some overlapping with the visual aesthetic of the website.