1. 1. Using Human Behaviour to Influence Design How understanding psychological principles can help improve user experience Alice Herbison (Blonde Digital) #signalnoise #personalisation
2. 2. psychology noun psyche -logia study ofpsyche or soul origin: the scientific study of the mind and its functions, especially those affecting behaviour in a given context
3. 3. cognition neuroscience social evolutionary abnormal developmental comparative
4. 4. cognition mental models perception attentio n
5. 5. mental models
6. 6. mental models perception attention 20%of oxygen input, and consequently calories (energy), is used by just the brain itself [1] Clark D. D. & Sokoloff, L. (1999) [1]
7. 7. mental models perception attention therefore we regularly use mental shortcuts to help process information quickly this lets us evaluate, think, and decide how to act in different situations using the smallest amount of brain thinking power that we can
8. 8. mental models perception attention a particular set of mental shortcuts are called mental models (schemas) our own mentally modeled interpretation and expectation of a situation
9. 9. simplify the world are an abstracted representation: what people think is true, not real help people predict what the result of their actions would be mental models perception attention we apply existing mental models to new situations as shortcuts to help us understand how to behave
10. 10. enter restaurant be seated by a server server returns to take order food is brought to table eat food enter restaurant be seated by a server get back up to order and pay at till food is brought to table eat food Example restaurant mental model Nandos restaurant mental model mental models perception attention
11. 11. mental models perception attention ask if youve been before explain processes no presents an interesting selling point for the uniqueness of their brand
12. 12. mental models perception attention how is this relevant to user experience design? people will approach your product with inherent behavioural expectations they will rely heavily on previous knowledge while using it
13. 13. mental models perception attention users mental model system or designers idea match the products design, or conceptual model, to the users mental model consistency is key good conceptual model for system
14. 14. mental models perception attention think-aloud usability tests evaluate by: if no mental model exists, or youre breaking one: give good signposting interview current users
15. 15. perception
16. 16. mental models perception attention perception is the interpretation of sensory information by the sensory organs, and the subsequent representation made mentally by the brain
17. 17. motion & low light colour & focus mental models perception attention
18. 18. mental models perception attention Good: eye-catching advertising, or drawing attention to an important part of the screen placing moving content on areas of a screen viewed in peripheral vision will be noticed easily Bad: moving content can be distracting if not the main point of focus (i.e. safety concerns)
19. 19. mental models perception attention advertisement advertisement content (focus is here) moving advertisement will attract attention
20. 20. attention
21. 21. mental models perception attention
22. 22. mental models perception attention change blindnessinattentional blindness
23. 23. mental models perception attention important content content (main point of attention) sidebar content more content
24. 24. mental models perception attention
25. 25. mental models perception attention navimportant content content (main point of attention) sidebar content more content
26. 26. mental models perception attention 1 32
27. 27. mental models perception attention
28. 28. mental models perception attention 1 2 3
29. 29. mental models perception attention think-aloud usability tests evaluate by: eye-tracking review
30. 30. mental models perception attentio n making sure to match the conceptual design of a product with the users mental model how understanding eye anatomy can help influence design we often fail to recognise changes or obvious stimuli implications for design
31. 31. Thank you!