Experience Design

Your brain lies to you a lot. It means well, but usually it aims to get answers in a hurry rather than a perfect answer that takes a while to figure out. And, it has good intentions. Because we now live in a complex world of abundance the brain needs to take shortcuts and make a lot of assumptions.

“For example, try to solve the following problem quickly: A bat and a ball together cost $1.10. The bat costs $1 more than the ball. How much does the ball cost? Most people say 10 cents, which is intuitive but wrong. (The bat costs $1.05, and the ball costs 5 cents.)” 1

Glancing at the faces above, most people (if consciously deciding) will select the image on the right as being happier than the image on the left despite the fact they are simply mirrored images. Why? Our brains have two distinct halves, the left brain and the right brain. They are joined together by a thick cable of nerves functioning like an Ethernet cable between two powerful processors. The left side of the brain is wired to the right side of the body and vice versa. This is also the case for our eyes which process a majority of the sensory data. 2
The right brain, which controls the left half of our body, is more intuitive. The left brain is more analytical. While both brains function together, they also process information differently. In the case of the faces drawing, the left half of each face is being viewed by the right brain which is specialized for face recognition.



As an experience design firm, Q7 Associates specialists apply the understanding about how the brain processes information in our conceptual development and design strategies. A common challenge for designers is understanding end-user‘s unmet and unarticulated needs. Because most people are unaware of their true needs, discovering them requires careful observations in their natural environment. The trained observer can often spot difficulties and solutions that even the person experiencing them does not consciously recognize. 3

Adopting neuroaesthetic and design psychology concepts in the art and design industry will provide enhanced outcomes in many industries by focusing on the needs of the people who interact with the end-design. Two of Q7 Associates main areas of focus is in healthcare and hospitality. Healthcare can benefit by incorporating neuroaesthetics in the practice of Evidenced-based art to enhance patient’s recovery while hospitality can combine design and service concepts to fulfill guests’ emotional needs.

While our left brains may have made us wealthy, we have reached an era where social outreach is replacing products and services that are reasonably priced and functional. Businesses must look for new ways to engage their end-users through aesthetic experiences and give them something to smile about.



Resources:
Left Brain Right Brain by Dan Eden 1
Welcome to Your Brain by Sandra Aamodt, Ph.D and Sam Wang, PhD. 2
Emotional Design by Donald A. Norman 3