What Makes Eco‐Friendly Products Appear Greener? The Effect of Aesthetic Design on Consumers' Purchase Intentions

ABSTRACT Prior research has extensively examined factors influencing consumers’ purchase intentions toward eco‐friendly products, including product attributes and consumer characteristics. However, relatively limited attention has been paid to the role of aesthetic design classifications. Drawing on product aesthetics and environmental consumption research, this study investigates how visual design influences consumers’ purchase intentions for eco‐friendly products. Across three studies and one supplemental study, the results show that classical aesthetics are more effective than expressive aesthetics in enhancing purchase intention, and this effect is mediated by natural perception. Moreover, environmental awareness moderates this effect. Specifically, the positive effect of classical aesthetics emerges primarily among consumers with high environmental awareness, whereas consumers with low environmental awareness respond more favorably to expressive aesthetics. These findings extend the literature on product aesthetics and eco‐friendly consumption by identifying natural perception as an underlying mechanism and environmental awareness as an important boundary condition. The results also offer practical implications for firms seeking to optimize the aesthetic design of eco‐friendly products. [Correction added on 19 May 2026, after first online publication: The Abstract section has been revised.]