The document discusses key insights into user experience (UX) grounded in cognitive science, emphasizing the distinction between two thinking systems: the conscious, deliberate System 1 and the unconscious, fast System 2. It explores how perception, memory, and decision-making influence user interaction and provides strategies for UX designers to enhance engagement and persuasion. Key takeaways include the importance of visual cues, storytelling, and understanding cognitive biases to create compelling user experiences.

1. Brain Secrets every
UXer needs to know
@johnwhalen #brainsecrets
1

2. BrilliantExperience.com
User Research Strategy & Ideation User Experience
Mobile Apps
@johnwhalen #brainsecrets

3. I’m going to try
not to geek out. 3

4. N50 error-related
negativity... 4

5. ...or d’oh!
5

6. 1. Introduction
2. Attention / Vision / Memory
3. Decision Making / Persuasion
4. Summary

7. Cognitive Vision
PhD: Neuroscience Science Linguistics
Math in Brain
PhD Cognitive Science
Johns Hopkins Univ
Post Doc at UCLA
during Dot.Com boom
John Whalen
Professor in Psychology
CEO, UX Lead
Brillian Experience
Usability/
User
Accessibility
Experience
Online Information
Strategy Architecture
7

8. 8

9. We don’t experience
what is in the real world. 9

10. http://www.youtube.com/user/Quirkology 10

11. http://www.youtube.com/user/Quirkology 10

12. We experience our brain’s
version of the world. 11

13. “Cogito ergo sum”
12

14. (I can’t trust my senses,
but I know I exist
because of my thoughts.) 13

15. Oh, you mean like The Matrix
...okay now I got it!14

16. We use two major
thinking systems 15

17. System 1:
conscious, focused, deliberate
16

18. System 2:
unconscious, fast, estimates
17

19. We as UXers underestimate the
power of System 2 and don’t
take full advantage of it.
18

20. Let’s explore some of our
automatic processes so you can
“see what I mean”. 19

21. 1. Introduction
2. Attention / Vision / Memory
3. Decision Making / Persuasion
4. Summary

22. What captures your attention?
21

23. Your eyes move in saccades.
http://bit.ly/tobiiglasses 22

24. Your visual acuity and color
perception drop off rapidly.
23

25. Your visual acuity and color
perception drop off rapidly.
24

26. 25

27. Your brain is looking for:
contrast, color,
line orientation, motion.
Your eyes move there to learn
26

28. Now let’s consider memory.
Wait, what are we considering?
27

29. Stare at the white dot. What happens to
other spot during rotation?
http://perception.research.yale.edu/MIB-Disappearance/MIB-Basic.mov 28

30. Stare at the white dot. What happens to
other spot during rotation?
http://perception.research.yale.edu/MIB-Disappearance/MIB-Basic.mov 28

31. Okay, how many things CAN we hold in
memory?
http://perception.research.yale.edu/oba/MOT.mov 29

32. Okay, how many things CAN we hold in
memory?
http://perception.research.yale.edu/oba/MOT.mov 29

33. About 4.
30

34. About 4.
30

35. Now let’s look at picture memory.
Draw a rectangle on a piece of paper.
I’ll give you 20 seconds to look at a picture.
Sketch it exactly as it appears. 31

36. http://sites.sinauer.com/wolfe3e/chap7/boundexF.htm 32

37. Let’s see how you did.
33

38. Typical
distortion
Actual
34

39. http://www.simonslab.com/videos.html 35

40. http://www.simonslab.com/videos.html 35

41. http://www.simonslab.com/videos.html
36

42. http://www.simonslab.com/videos.html
36

43. Phew, that’s a lot!
Let’s review, shall we? 37

44. We quickly loose acuity and color
outside of our gaze.
Contrast, color, line
orientation and motion
determine where we look
next.
Much of what we “see”
is constructed.
Review 38

45. Our system fills in the gaps.
But if memory is impaired,
it is very difficult to detect
a change.
So: Use visual cues to lead your audience.
Tell a story to allow anticipation.
Review 39

46. Our system fills in the gaps.
But if memory is impaired,
it is very difficult to detect
a change.
So: Use visual cues to lead your audience.
Tell a story to allow anticipation.
Review 39

47. How are we doing?
40

48. 1. Introduction
2. Attention / Vision / Memory
3. Decision Making / Persuasion
4. Summary

49. System 2:
unconscious, fast, estimates
42

50. How could we use what
we know to be persuasive?
43

51. B
A
C
Likeability, Free, Commitment
44

52. Intrigue 45

53. Aesthetics 46

54. Barbeque
by the pool
Narrative 47

55. Where’s the
barbeque?
Achievement 48

56. Authority 49

57. Framing 50

58. Anchoring 51

59. Mimicry 52

60. Scarcity, Loss Aversion 53

61. Reducing Effort 54

62. Creating Ownership 55

63. Phew, that’s a lot!
Let’s review, shall we? 56

64. Likeability – capture them with visuals
Free – give something away to ask for return favor
Commitment – ask for small commitment to build bigger ones
Intrigue – gradually reveal information – make me look
Endowment – if I’ve worked harder its more valuable to me
Aesthetics – more aesthetically pleasing feels more usable
Narrative – tell me a story about how this fits my life
Achievement – show me that I've made an accomplishment
Reputation – the brand’s reputation counts
Authority – official recognition important
Social Proof – if everyone else is buying one…
Loss Aversion – how do I know I’m not going to lose on the deal?
Status Quo – must overcome how things are today w/ shopper
Effort – how hard is it to check out?
Scarcity – if I might not be able to get one I want it more
Loss Aversion – don’t want to lose out on the deal
Ownership – let me be in control during the buying process
57

65. 1. Introduction
2. Attention / Vision / Memory
3. Decision Making / Persuasion
4. Summary

66. We don’t experience
what is in the real world
59

67. We experience our brain’s
processing of the world. 60

68. We use two major
thinking systems
61

69. System 1:
conscious, focused, deliberate
62

70. System 2:
unconscious, fast, estimates
63

71. We can only keep track
of a few things at a time.
64

72. We can only keep track
of a few things at a time.
64

73. We fill in a lot of details.
65

74. We fill in a lot of details.
65

75. We fill in a lot of details.
65

76. UXers need to capture attention,
and tell stories we can follow.
66

77. Likeability – capture them with visuals
Free – give something away to ask for return favor
Commitment – ask for small commitment to build bigger ones
Intrigue – gradually reveal information – make me look
Endowment – if I’ve worked harder its more valuable to me
Aesthetics – more aesthetically pleasing feels more usable
Narrative – tell me a story about how this fits my life
Achievement – show me that I've made an accomplishment
Reputation – the brand’s reputation counts
Authority – official recognition important
Social Proof – if everyone else is buying one…
Loss Aversion – how do I know I’m not going to lose on the deal?
Status Quo – must overcome how things are today w/ shopper
Effort – how hard is it to check out?
Scarcity – if I might not be able to get one I want it more
Loss Aversion – don’t want to lose out on the deal
Ownership – let me be in control during the buying process
Then use a number of
techniques to persuade our
audiences to act. 67

78. By making System 2 happy.
68

79. Thank you! #brainsecrets
69

80. Thank you! #brainsecrets
69

81. John Whalen
@johnwhalen
User Research Strategy User Experience
Mobile
BrilliantExperience.com