A Multidimensional, User-Centered Framework for Evaluating Digital Stylus Stroke Rendering Aesthetics

The perceptual quality of digital stylus stroke rendering is critical to pen-based interaction, yet systematic user-centered evaluation frameworks remain limited. This study develops and evaluates a multidimensional, user-centered framework for assessing stroke aesthetics. A mixed-method approach identified 7 perceptual dimensions and 20 evaluation indicators. 9 indicators were manipulated through rendering parameters in a controlled writing task to examine their relative effects on user satisfaction and model the relationships between rendering parameters and aesthetic evaluations. Geometric attributes, particularly thickness variation, received the greatest attention. Indicator coding frequencies differed across pen types, highlighting context-dependent perceptual priorities. For fountain pens, stroke breaks made the strongest independent contribution to satisfaction, while stroke breaks, jitter correction, and thickness variation were the highest-priority evaluation indicators. The framework provides a structured measurement model to support aesthetic evaluation and design optimization of digital stylus stroke rendering.