Experience design and user-centered design principles are largely grounded in the practices of "User-Centered Design.” While these have proven effective day in and day out, we have the chance to add a crucial extra dimension: grounding them in scientific data.
The advancements in neuroscience over the past 15 years have shaken up our understanding of human behavior and the brain. Regardless of the field, and especially in technology, it's essential to consider what's now scientifically validated. Of course, neuroscience sometimes supports and reinforces what was anticipated, observed, or theorized by other sciences (such as cognitive psychology, sociology, etc.).
And that's where we at Insign are particularly interested! For the past 3 years, we have been using the invaluable scientific insights provided by neuroscience in designing the experiences we create with our clients.
This objective input allows for a much more relevant and impactful accompaniment of user behavior. This is precisely what design is about, returning to its roots: cognitive foundations. A deep understanding of human functioning for designing something useful, usable, and memorable. Thanks to advances in neuroscience, we now have an in-depth understanding of how the human brain perceives, processes, and reacts to stimuli. They provide us with valuable insights into information processing, decision-making, and emotions. Understanding these mechanisms enables us to create strategies that better meet user expectations and anticipate their needs while fostering user adoption and loyalty. They lead to a series of more intuitive and engaging user interactions based on robust scientific evidence, ensuring maximum effectiveness and relevance.
While the teachings are numerous and ever-evolving, here are four precepts that we adhere to in our work:
1. Engagement through Gamification
Dopamine, a neurotransmitter linked to pleasure and reward, plays an important role in user engagement and retention. Experiences that integrate elements of gamification, such as instant rewards or challenges, can stimulate dopamine release, increasing the user's desire to return to the app. This is one of the core principles of the Explorer app we developed for "Les 3 Vallées" to encourage skiers to explore and discover all the secrets of the area and its many activities.
When skiers validate a "point of interest" in the area they've reached on their route, several gamification elements are triggered. The location icon changes, the points increase, and the level progresses. This makes you want to ski to the next point, not just to enjoy the scenery but to keep exploring the map and continue "the game." Great skiing and lots of fun!
2. Reducing Cognitive Load
According to the Cognitive Load Theory (John Sweller, Paul Ayres, and Slava Kalyuga, Cognitive Load Theory, 2011), which neuroscience continues to explore, the brain has a limited capacity to process new information. Effective design must minimize complexity and avoid overloading this capacity, lest it result in a “task failure.” In terms of design, this means a user abandoning a task after feeling confused or frustrated.
Identifying the most important tasks is therefore crucial. Still, on the Explorer app, we've decided to focus the user's attention on two key points on the main screen: identifying their location in the area and the points of interest they can visit. A multitude of other important information could also be displayed (open track status, route), but without selecting the key elements to highlight, the service risks losing the user's brain. Of course, the art lies in the subtle balance between these other pieces of information being accessible only if the user seeks them, without being too overwhelming.
3. The Importance of Emotions
Research, notably by Luke Clark at the University of Cambridge, has demonstrated how emotions influence memory. Our emotions therefore play a critical role not only in how users interact with a service but also in how they remember and evaluate these interactions. Emotional responses can strengthen or weaken user engagement, directly impacting satisfaction and loyalty. For example, a positive user experience that evokes joy or satisfaction can create positive associations with a brand, increasing the likelihood of the service being reused and recommended. Conversely, a negative experience will not only deter future use but also damage the brand's reputation.
In the case of the Explorer app, we use colors, shapes, textures, sounds to evoke specific emotional responses, strategically integrating these elements to create deeply engaging and memorable experiences. The choice of the blue color in Explorer is no coincidence. While it evokes the mountain or sky, it also suggests reason, trust, and honesty to the brain.
4. Visual Optimization
Everyone can picture the overly complex menu of a pizzeria, with its 14 different fonts, 12 colors, and 33 images. It's just as complex as the signage at the Métro Halles junction in Paris before the RATP overhaul a few years ago. This feeling of being completely lost, in either case. The scientific explanation is that our brain processes information hierarchically. In designing services or experiences, this means organizing information so that the user can intuitively navigate the messages, content, and directions offered. Whether digital or physical, the most important elements must be visually highlighted (size, color, positioning) to immediately capture attention.
5. Ultradian Rhythm in User Interaction
Ultradian cycles are periods during which our brain can concentrate effectively before needing a restorative break. Experiences designed to allow for short, intense usage sessions followed by natural breaks can help maintain user engagement without exhausting them. We draw heavily from these teachings in constructing the processes of our Collective Intelligence workshops, to promote optimal work quality, full participation, and a continuous flow for all participants.
Adopting a design approach based on scientific data, acknowledging their constant evolution, is strategic in designing experiences and services. By better understanding how our brain functions, we not only design services or experiences that are more useful and usable but also more enjoyable. The objectivity provided by science in our decision-making allows us to improve product efficiency and optimize user interactions with the brand.
As we continue to explore this field of study, we are beginning to measure the impact neuroscience has on our professions. Today we speak of Design, but this reflection can extend to work organizations, evolving manager behaviors, and optimizing collective intelligence. The areas affected by neuroscience's contributions are numerous.
