Warm for fun, cool for work: the effect of color temperature on users’ attitudes and behaviors toward hedonic vs. utilitarian mobile apps

Purpose In the competitive app store environment, understanding how various app store elements influence user preferences is crucial. While prior research has primarily focused on textual and numeric elements of app stores, the role of visual elements remains underexplored. This study addresses this gap by investigating how color temperature (warm vs. cool) in app screenshots can influence users’ intentions to download hedonic vs. utilitarian mobile apps. Design/methodology/approach Multiple online experiments were conducted, including two main experiments ( N = 192) and two supplementary experiments ( N = 157). The experiments manipulated the color temperature of screenshots for hedonic (e.g. gaming) and utilitarian (e.g. banking) apps and measured participants’ perceptions of color appropriateness, attitudinal responses, and download intentions. Findings Warm colors were perceived as more appropriate for hedonic apps, while cool colors were perceived as more suitable for utilitarian apps. The congruence between color temperature and app value orientation significantly influenced users’ ad attitudes and app download intentions. Specifically, hedonic apps in warm colors and utilitarian apps in cool colors received more favorable responses, with perceived color appropriateness mediating this effect. Originality/value This research enhances the understanding of the impact of color on app users’ perceptions and behaviors and also offers valuable insights for app developers and marketers on effectively using color as a visual marketing tool in app store environments.