New findings from brain research pave the way for new, effective forms of product and communication design. – Philipp Zutt
Neurology (brain research) is one of the most important scientific fields of development. Not only does it generate findings for medical science, but also strongly influences other fields of knowledge. Thus, besides neuropsychology and neurobiology, there are concepts such as neuropedagogy (brain-compatible teaching and learning), neurorobotics (application of neuronal regulations for autonomous robots) or neuromarketing (determination of consumers’ desires and needs).
In the meantime, information on the term “neuro-design” or “neurodesign” can be found on Google. What is it about? Neurodesign is the utilization of neurological findings for design. On the one hand, century-old assumptions, e.g. about graphical effects, can be proved by means of imaging methods, which depict brain activity graphically. On the other hand, graphic artists, composers, product and package developers or even advertisers learn how the design of products and communication achieves a better effect on the customers’ brains. The following four subjects give you an insight in the possibilities of neurodesign:
1. Our Brain Prefers the Beautiful
As early as 300 B.C., Euclid devoted himself to the search for mathematic rules for the beautiful and came across the golden ratio. Leonardo da Vinci used this principle in his paintings. In 1876, the founder of experimental psychology, Gustav Theodor Fechner, noticed that his test persons preferred rectangles following the golden ratio to other rectangles. The ratio between two sides, expressed mathematically by the number phi (Φ), also repeatedly recurs in nature: In the arrangement of the seeds of a sunflower, in the scaling of fir cones, in the structure of snail shells, in the inflorescence of rose petals, or in the tendency of the ratios of diverse limbs of the human body (e.g. the ratio between upper arm and forearm).
A Design for all senses: This coffee machine was designed by the specialists together in parallel. Bild: Robert Bosch Hausgeräte GmbH; Montage: ke