In today’s rapidly digitalizing educational landscape, integrating the Visual Aesthetic Principle in digital learning materials is vital for fostering positive affective responses and reducing cognitive load, thereby enhancing overall learning performance. This study examines the influence of color consistency in website design and signaling of relevant information on learning performance, cognitive load, and affective responses. Two independent experiments were conducted using a 2×2 between‐subjects design. The colors red and blue were systematically varied in both the overall design and the signaling elements of the verbal learning content. Red and blue were chosen for this study because they carry distinct emotional connotations and effects—red is typically associated with arousal and heightened attention. In contrast, blue is linked to calmness and a facilitative perception of a learning atmosphere. In Experiment 1, high school students (N=99) engaged with a multimedia learning module on massage techniques. The results indicated that a consistent color scheme—where design and signaling used the same color—yielded superior retention and transfer performance, reduced cognitive load, and fostered more positive emotional states than mixed-color conditions. Notably, the main effects of these colors revealed that red elements generally enhanced retention and arousal, whereas blue elements were associated with lower cognitive load and improved transfer performance. Experiment 2 replicated the design with university students (N=100), confirming that uniform color usage enhances cognitive and affective outcomes in digital learning settings. The combined findings underscore the importance of the Visual Aesthetic Principle in reducing extraneous cognitive load and promoting effective learning. Implications for optimizing digital learning environments and directions for future research are discussed.

Keywords: Instructional Design, Aesthetics, Color, Cognitive Load, Learning Outcomes.