International Journal of Art, Culture and Design Technologies, 2(2), 57-71, July-December 2012 57 Copyright © 2012, IGI Global. Copying or distributing in print or electronic forms without written permission of IGI Global is prohibited. Keywords: Aesthetics, Bridge, Framework, Paradigm, Pluralism, Positivism, Visual Design, Visual Systems Design INTRODUCTION In the past decade, system interface design has become an increasingly relevant topic in IS. This is evidenced by a plethora of relevant studies (e.g., Benbasat, 2010; Prestopnik et al., 2010; Zhang & Li, 2005; Zhang et al., 2002, 2009). Generally, there are two research streams addressing system interface design (Cyr et al., 2009). One of those streams holds that interface usability is the key, emphasizing a behavioral or cognitive focus (Babu et al., 2010; Palmer, 2002; Reber et al., 2004; Teo et al., 2003; Venkatesh, 2006). The second research stream contends that attention to hedonic aspects of human-computer interaction, with human needs such as emotion, affect, and experience is important (Agarwal & Karahanna, 2000; Beaudry & Pinsonneault, 2010; Schrepp et al., 2006). Hedonic IS research shows that the well-executed visual design of a website or any other information system has the potential to evoke responses in users, which subsequently impact their cognitive processes and behavioral intentions (Campbell et al., Information Systems as a Reference Discipline for Visual Design Daniel A. Peak, University of North Texas, USA Victor Prybutok, University of North Texas, USA Michael Gibson, University of North Texas, USA Chenyan Xu, University of North Texas, USA ABSTRACT This paper proposes that the Information Systems (IS) discipline can serve as a reference discipline for the Visual Design discipline and vice versa. To this end, this work tries to offer a pluralistic framework of visual design systems (VSD) where the primary focus is on how the Visual Design discipline utilizes the intellectual know-how of IS concerning systems of development. Because visual design is part of the aesthetic paradigm where interpretivism rules and IS is contained in the positivist paradigm, we employ a multi-paradigm ap- proach to bridge these two paradigms and their constituent disciplines. The implications of VSD are discussed in the remainder of this paper. DOI: 10.4018/ijacdt.2012070105