Assessment of the Aesthetic Quality of Select Private Universities' Websites in Nigeria

Background: Aesthetic consideration is a worthwhile exercise. Individuals and organisations that understand the importance of aesthetics embrace it. It is even more expedient for universities to give high priority to aesthetics in what they do, especially on their websites which are like windows through which people view them. People’s perception of such universities is, therefore, tied to the aesthetic qualities of various pages of the websites. Ignoring this aesthetic appeal can result in losing prospective students and others who visit the websites for various reasons. Objective: This study aimed at assessing the aesthetic qualities of the websites of Covenant, Topfaith and Bingham Universities in Nigeria, with a view to contributing to literature that would help in creating knowledge about the importance of universities’ websites. Methods: The study adopted a multimodal analysis research design thus yielding itself to a qualitative method. Results: This study found that in terms of the overall quality of aesthetics, Covenant University’s website is superior to the others. Conclusion: Aesthetic quality varies among the websites of the three universities depending on their use of text and graphics. Unique Contribution: This study has given new perspective and insight into the growing discourse on new media, by exploring its aesthetics on which there is a dearth of research. Therefore, this paper will help in pushing the frontiers of people’s understanding and appreciation of this area of study and contribute to improving digital communication. Key Recommendation: Designers and managers of universities’ websites should be consistent in applying aesthetic elements to attract people and make them stay glued to them.