Visual Guidance Strategies for Low-Carbon Behaviour in Smart Scenic Spot Digital Wayfinding Systems: A Case Study of Qinhuangdao
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Abstract
Under the background of the “dual carbon” strategy and the integrated development of smart tourism, digital wayfinding systems in scenic spots, as the most frequent information touchpoints with tourists, possess significant potential for guiding public low-carbon behaviour. To the best of the author’s knowledge, this study is among the first to systematically apply visual persuasion theory to low-carbon behaviour guidance in scenic spot digital wayfinding systems. Taking Shanhaiguan Scenic Spot in Qinhuangdao as a case study, this paper integrates visual persuasion theory with persuasive design theory to construct a three-dimensional visual guidance framework of “information content – visual form – interaction mode” and designs three sets of digital wayfinding interface prototypes with different guidance strategies (data-driven, emotion-driven, and social norm-driven). Through user testing and questionnaire surveys (N = 32), the results showed that the main effect of strategy type on low-carbon behavioural intention was not significant, F(2, 62) = 0.02, p =.98, η2 =.001, with all three strategies yielding mean scores above the neutral point of 4 on a 7-point scale (data-driven M = 4.75, SD = 1.68; emotion-driven M = 4.80, SD = 1.49; social norm-driven M = 4.78, SD = 1.62). Notably, the emotion-driven strategy demonstrated a clear advantage in the preference ranking, accounting for 46.9% of all selections. This divergence between behavioural intention ratings and preference rankings suggests the possibility of different mechanisms underlying immediate decision-making and long-term preference formation. The study proposes a “stratified adaptation” low-carbon behaviour visual guidance strategy system, offering operable strategy references for the low-carbon design of smart scenic spot wayfinding systems and providing a new pathway for visual communication design to intervene in public energy-saving behaviour.
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