Your customers have a finite set of awareness as they are trying to sift through competing messages in multiple channels. Marketers and designers that understand the various levels of human attention and how you can design more effectively for attention will reach their audience. Taylor Cowan and Brian Sullivan presented this presentation at SxSW 2012 to a standing room only crowd.

1. SxSW Interactive 2012
Brian Sullivan & Taylor Cowan

2. Brian Sullivan
bigdesignconference.com
I help people with their
Usability Needs

3. Clap Three Times, if You Like the Nerd Boot!

4. @bigdesign
@BrianKSullivan

5. Did You Know?
Yawning cools your brain, which increases your alertness.

8. Time Shift:
It is like a maniacal paperboy delivering every 10 seconds.

10. Did You Know?
Sustained attention wanes after 10 minutes. Next topic!

11. Classic Definition of Awareness
Attention is the taking possession
by the mind, in clear and vivid form,
of one out of what seem several
simultaneously possible objects or
trains of thought. Focalization,
concentration, of consciousness are
of its essence.
-William James

12. Attention Distraction
Implies Implies
Focus Disorder

15. Attention Economy (1971)
The wealth of information means a
dearth of something else: a scarcity of
whatever it is that information
consumes, (which is) the attention of
its recipients.
A wealth of information creates a
poverty of attention and a need to
allocate that attention efficiently
among the overabundance of
information sources that might
consume it.
-Herbert Simon (1971)

16. Information Attention
Scarcity Scarcity

17. Did You Know?
You are bombarded by 400 billion bits of data per second,
but you are aware of only 2,000 bits. (MIT, 2009)

18. Attention Currency (2001)
Attention is focused mental
engagement on a particular
item of information. Items come
into our awareness, we
attend to a particular item, and
then we decide whether to act.
-Tom Davenport(2001)

19. Awareness to Engagement
Modified: Daniel Michelis (2011)

20. Did You Know?
UX Design Models do not “pay attention” to attention.

23. Did You Know?
Dark chocolate has ingredients that increase awareness.

24. Your Attention Modes

25. Passive Attention [pas-iv] [uh-ten-shuhn]
Passive attention is involuntary use of
attention. Some scholars have called it
“being in auto-pilot.” People usually snap
out of passive attention because of an
external factor (sudden loud noise).

26. Passive Mode:
You perform a mundane task (like
driving to work for 500th time), so it
does not require your full attention.
-The laundry is piled up.
- I need to go to the store.
- I need money from the ATM.
When you almost hit a car, your
attention moves to ACTIVE mode!!!

27. Active Attention [ak-tiv] [uh-ten-shuhn]
Active attention is the voluntary focusing of
attention under difficulties, attention by
disregarding distraction, attention to which
there are rival claimants, — in short,
choosing to mentally focus on something.

28. Active Mode:
You perform a task that requires
your full attention.
- A surgeon focuses on a patient
- An athlete focuses on a free-throw
- Ice climbing on a slippery slope
You attention is very focused in
active mode.

29. Did You Know?
Yoga boosts oxygen to your brain for better concentration.

30. Types of Active Attention

31. Active Attention Types:
1. Normal
2. Concentration
3. Selective
4. Alternating
5. Divided

32. Active Attention Types:
1. Normal
2. Concentration
3. Selective
4. Alternating
5. Divided
Normal attention is when you focus on a single task.

34. Normal Attention:
You consciously focus on a single
task:
- Nurse listens to the heart monitor
- Player blocks a basketball shot
- Clown juggles 7 balls
People perform best when they focus
on a single task.

36. Active Attention Types:
1. Normal
2. Concentration
3. Selective
4. Alternating
5. Divided
Concentration is sustained focus on activity, where you
purposely avoid distractions, stretch your current skills, or do
something you consider to be very important.

37. Concentration:
Concentration is a sustained focus,
usually dealing with distractions, doing
something important, or doing
something beyond your normal limits.
- Listening to someone at a noisy party
- Reading a book
- Doing a skateboard stunt
Tuning out conversations at a party to
talk with someone important.

38. Concentration:
Concentration is a sustained focus,
usually dealing with distractions, doing
something important, or doing
something beyond your normal limits.
- Listening to someone at a noisy party
- Reading a book
- Doing a skateboard stunt
Reading a book for a school or work project,
so you focus on specific information.

39. A gymnast adding a new twist to the vault
during a competition (in the finals).

40. Active Attention Types:
1. Normal
2. Concentration
3. Selective
4. Alternating
5. Divided
Selective attention is unconsciously blocking out other
stimulus, while you are performing some task.

43. Read Italics, then Read Bold
You can Bold read just letters the
italics can words on also be this page,
read if you because try of with little,
selective or no, attention difficulty.

44. Selective Attention:
Selective attention is just how our
brain processes information in our
visual field. People miss large
chunks of data in their visual field.
- Banner Blindness
- Not understanding a page changed
- Not seeing the gorilla
You selectively “ignore” a lot of
things. In the Selective Attention
tests on You Tube, you might miss:
- A Gorilla
- A moon-walking bear
- A storm trooper
- Child-dressed up as a Ninja Turtle

45. Active Attention Types:
1. Normal
2. Concentration
3. Selective
4. Alternating
5. Divided
Alternating attention is focus in on one task and
you “tune in” to another one from time to time.

46. Concentration:
Concentration is a sustained focus,
usually dealing with distractions, doing
something important, or doing
something beyond your normal limits.
- Listening to someone at a noisy party
- Reading a book
- Doing a skateboard stunt
You are reading a book for pleasure, while
an episode of “Family Guy” plays on TV.

47. “That’s pretty freakin’ sweet. It’s one of the Star Wars
episodes. Have I seen it?”

48. Concentration:
Concentration is a sustained focus,
usually dealing with distractions, doing
something important, or doing
something beyond your normal limits.
- Listening to someone at a noisy party
- Reading a book
- Doing a skateboard stunt
“I’ve seen that episode back to the book.”
(for now)

49. “That’s pretty freakin’ sweet, Brian! I love this part.
Sure, my reading can wait.”

50. “Hello, ladies, look at your man, now back to
me, now back at your man, now back to me.
Sadly, he isn’t me, but if he stopped using ladies
scented body wash and switched to Old Spice,
he could smell like he’s me.
Look down, back up, where are you? You’re on a
boat with the man your man could smell like.
What’s in your hand, back at me. I have it, it’s an
oyster with two tickets to that thing you love.
Look again, the tickets are now diamonds.
Anything is possible when your man smells like
Old Spice and not a lady. I’m on a horse.”
[Smell like a man, man. Old Spice]
Did You Know?
Alternating attention was used in Old Spice commercials.

51. Active Attention Types:
1. Normal
2. Concentration
3. Selective
4. Alternating
5. Divided
Divided attention is when you split your attention between
many things. You don’t really focus on any one task.

55. Myths About Multi-tasking
 You do not multi-task.
 You do rapid task switching.
 Better to complete one task.
 Task efficiency decreases with
each additional task.
 Digital natives think they are
great multi-taskers:
- Do homework
- Update Facebook
- Search Internet

57. Awareness to Engagement
Modified: Daniel Michelis (2011)

58. Design Strategies for Awareness

59. Taylor Cowan
taylorcowanonline.com
@tcowan
I help people with their
Cloud Solutions
& Architecture

60. Did you know
 Green tea
Did You Know?
Green tea improves your memory & ability to learn!

61. Attention Economy:
1. Two Strategies
2. Three Methods

62. Attention Economy:
1. Two Strategies
- User-based
- Design-based
2. Three Methods

63. Verbal Protocols (6 Thinking Hats)
 White = Neutral
 Blue = Organize
 Green = Creative
 Yellow = Positive
 Black = Critical
 Red = Emotional

64. Advanced Training Saves Lives

65. Simple Checklists are Effective
 WHO adopts it in 2008:
- 8 Tanzania hospitals
- Deaths reduced almost 50%
- Post-surgery issues reduced
over 35%
 Only checklist was adopted:
- No new equipment bought
- No extra money spent
Checklist Manifesto (2007) - Results were in 6 months

66. Attention Economy:
1. Two Strategies
- User-based
- Design-based
2. Three Methods

67. Awareness to Engagement
Modified: Daniel Michelis (2011)

68. Awareness Spectrum

69. Passive Awareness On One End
Passive

70. Active Awareness At Other End
Passive Active

71. Ignore, the Most Passive Data
Passive Active
Ignore

72. Notify Users of Important Data
Passive Active
Notify

73. Interrupt Users for Critical Data
Passive Active
Interrupt

74. Develop an Ignore Strategy
Passive Active
Ignore
Ignore Strategy:
You want to purposely ignore data that is irrelevant, old, or
redundant. Designers become attention bankers. They “pay”
attention to the data shown to their customers.

75. To help users ignore data, you can do these things:
delete, hide, order, bury, reduce, archive, and more.

76. Be Subtle with Notifications
Passive Active
Notify
Notification Strategy:
You want to notify your customers of potentially,
important data. Designers are “information brokers” in
this space, respecting their customers and their context.

77. Notifications are Subtle
 Edges of page (ex: an ESPN scoreboard)
 Show a change (ex: red bubbles on Facebook)
 Personal (ex: caller name or ring tone)
 Seen in widgets (ex: Fans on NASCAR)

78. Do’s and Don’ts of Notification
 Do these things:
- Put them on the “fringe” of the eye path
- Use contrasting colors, so user can see them
- Small objects size mean less importance
 Do not do these things:
- Do not force unimportant messages
- Do not use animation (especially, blinking)
- Do not use notifications for life & death
situations (interrupt people)

79. You can see a lot
by looking around!
Yogi Berra

80. Try and spot all of
the notifications on
one page.

82. Notification of 1 new item.

83. Notification of 1 new item.
No pic (usually spammer).

84. Notification of 1 new item.
No pic (usually spammer).
This item is new.

85. Notification of 1 new item.
No pic (usually spammer).
Damn, an advertisement!
This item is new.

86. Notification of 1 new item.
No pic (usually spammer).
Short URL (by Owl.ly)
Damn, an advertisement!
This item is new.

87. Notification of 1 new item.
No pic (usually spammer).
Short URL (by Owl.ly)
Damn, an advertisement!
This item is new.
Hashtag for like posts

88. Notification of 1 new item.
No pic (usually spammer).
Short URL (by Owl.ly)
Damn, an advertisement!
This item is new.
See conversation thread
Hashtag for like posts

89. Did We Tell You?
Dark chocolate has ingredients that increase awareness.

90. Be Serious about Interruptions
Passive Active
Interrupt

91. Make Interruptions Obvious
Passive Active
Interrupt
Interruption Strategy:
You must interrupt people for significantly events.
Designers should take a “tell (not ask)” approach with
interruptions. All interruptions should be obvious.

92. Interruptions are Obvious
 Require immediate attention
(ex: heart flatlines)
 Single page with one message
(ex: Amber Alert)
 Binary choice in center of page
(ex: Confirmation page)

93. Interruption Do’s and Don’ts
 Do these things:
- Use large objects to show major importance
- Consider showing only one thing
- Use multi-sensory design (sight & sound)
 Do not do these things:
- Do not show once (force users to click or tap)
- Do not be subtle (you must be obvious)
- Do not put on the fringe of the eye path
(center of screen is best)

94. Did You Know?
Sound is the best interruption mode. Vibrations, heat,
smell, color, and light were not even close. (Welch, 1986)

96. Call of Duty—Player Notification

97. PiX3L Monkey is Online

98. Pop-up is Gone, Still Playing

100. I’m Missing My Game
- Level 53 - 17 Awards
- 10 Boosts - 22 Missions
- 88 Medals - 42 Weapons
- 12 Friends - 76 Enemies
Completed: Zombie Moscow Level

101. A notification strategy
does not have to exist on
the fringe of your design.
It can be meaningfully
placed into the main
viewing area.

102.  1 missed call
 voicemail
 2 text messages
 2 unread emails
 Partly cloudy46 degrees
 No meetings on Saturday,
29th

105. Make It Multi-Modal
 Different parts of the brain
process information.
 Multi-modal designs use
different sensory triggers in
the brain.
Did you know……..
Neuroscientists recommend
doctors play classical music in
surgery. It relaxes the stress
centers of the brain and
seems to aid to eye-hand
coordination.

106. Recite Ingredients of a Big Mac

107. You Know Them By Heart
Two all beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese,
pickles, and onions on a sesame seed bun.

108. Multi-modal Encoding in Memory
You know these ingredients because of multi-modal
encoding (see, smell, taste, feel, eat, sing the words).

109. Common Multi-Modal Patterns
 Vibration of a game controller
 Temperature activated labels
 Change color on selection

110. Next, Interaction Design

111. Good Panoramas make use of
relevant information  Recent items
 Nearby items

112. Interactions Are Personal
 Allows for exploration
 Entices Interest
 Leads to focus

113. Far
Near
Past Future

114. Interactions with Context
 Recent
 Popular
 Frequent
 Events
 Share
 What Others Like
 Recommendations
 Location
(or Nearby)

115. Last Example: Fandango
 Swipe, tap, or pinch
 You can see:
- In Theaters Now
- Within 15 miles
- Opening This Week
- Reviews
- Coming Soon
 Interactions
+ Context
-----------------
Awareness

118. Four Final Questions
In your area, what things do you need to
make your customers aware of?

119. Four Final Questions
Are you using the right awareness
strategy for alerts and notifications?

120. Four Final Questions
How you can use these awareness
methods (user training, interactions,
multi-modal design, mind maps)?

121. Four Final Questions
How can you use mind maps of time
and spatial awareness?

122. Thanks for Paying Attention!
Taylor Cowan
@tcowan
taylorcowanonline.com
Brian Sullivan
@bigdesign
@BrianKSullivan
bigdesignevents.com