Mathematical aesthetics in marketing design: revising the role of formulas in shaping visual harmony and consumer attraction

Details

Supervisors

Verardi, Vincenzo

Faculty

Louvain School of Management

Degree label

Master [60] en sciences de gestion

Abstract

enDoes strict mathematical geometry universally define a good corporate logo? Grounded in George Birkhoff’s aesthetic measure, this thesis challenges the assumption that formal mathematical rules, such as symmetry and proportion, automatically generate consumer attraction. Through 1,830 pairwise visual comparisons analyzed via a Bradley-Terry logistic regression model, the research demonstrates that the general consumer systematically rejects extreme mathematical reduction in favor of moderate visual complexity. However, visual processing is not uniform. The study reveals that a consumer’s design sensitivity, purchasing habits, generation, and gender act as critical perceptual filters. Notably, Gen Z and visually sophisticated consumers heavily penalize strict structural rigidity, whereas older demographics and low-involvement consumers utilize explicit mathematical order as a cognitive shortcut. Ultimately, this thesis proves that corporate design must be strategically adapted to specific cognitive profiles rather than relying on universal mathematical heuristics.