The Psychology of Design: Cognitive Psychology, Design and Psychedelics
Design is an integral part of our daily lives, from the architectural marvels to the intuitive user interfaces of our favourite apps. But have you ever wondered why some designs evoke emotions, incite action, or simply resonate with us? The secret lies in the psychology of design, where principles and theories rooted in human behaviour and cognition guide the creation of exceptional experiences.
As designers, we work intuitively and train our artistic eye year after year after year, even across various industries. But only sometimes are we questioning the psychological principles and theories underpinning design processes we apply daily. Design is more than process and design thinking applied to business problems; it is more than beauty and increased followers. It is also more than Post-It notes–unlike what Google search results might tell you when searching for design thinking. And if you haven’t yet watched Pentagram partner Natasha Jen’s talk “Design Thinking is Bullsh*t”, go watch it.
In the design world, curiosity, innovation and creativity are the lifeblood. But what if there was a way to unlock even greater depths of imagination and inspiration? Recent research suggested that psychedelics can profoundly impact the psychological principles and theories underpinning creative processes.
In the realm of design, our brains have their limits – a phenomenon known as cognitive load. The art of effective design lies in streamlining this cognitive load, orchestrating a symphony of clarity, conciseness, and organisation. Such orchestration allows users to seamlessly comprehend and engage with products and interfaces, an experience that unfolds effortlessly.
This means effective design is the art of streamlining this cognitive load, creating an experience marked by clarity, conciseness, thoughtfulness, intelligence and organization. This is anchored in cognitive load theory, guiding the reduction of extraneous cognitive burdens and the elevation of pertinent cognitive demands.
Let’s look at 3 theories in this hypothetical context:
Retention Theory
Retention Theory, or the Serial Position Effect, explores how the order of presenting information influences our ability to remember and recall it.
According to Retention Theory, when we encounter a series of items, such as a list of words or elements on a webpage, our memory tends to be more effective at retaining items presented at the beginning (primacy effect) and items presented at the end (recency effect) of the series. This means that we are more likely to remember the first and last items, while the items in the middle may be more easily forgotten or overlooked.
Psychedelics have the potential to revolutionize our understanding of Retention Theory. These substances can enhance cognitive flexibility and memory, potentially amplifying primacy and recency effects. When under the influence of psychedelics, individuals often experience heightened perception and vivid recall, which can inform how information presentation affects memory retention. By studying these altered cognitive processes and capitalising on the primacy and recency effects, designers could potentially create differently, for better and lasting impressions, making crucial details more likely to stick in users' minds.
Hick's Law
Hick's Law, also known as the Hick-Hyman Law, explores the relationship between the number of choices presented and the time it takes to make a decision. Embraced in UX and interface design, it suggests that simplifying choices expedites decision-making, a principle paramount in crafting efficient and user-friendly experiences. Named after British psychologist William Edmund Hick and American psychologist Ray Hyman, the law is often summarized with the equation: RT = a + b * log2(N).
In the context of psychedelics, this principle can be explored more deeply. Psychedelics often enhance sensory perception and cognitive flexibility, providing a unique lens to study how users interact with and process choices. When under the influence of psychedelics, the heightened awareness and altered state of mind can reveal new insights into how information overload impacts decision-making. This can help designers refine their approach, ensuring that essential choices stand out clearly and are easier to navigate.
Psychedelics could help designers understand the user's experience more deeply, ensuring that the path is intuitive and effortless. By integrating insights gained from psychedelic experiences, designers could potentially create products, services, or experiences that are not only more efficient but also more empathetic, aligned with human cognitive processes and attuned to nature’s health.
Cognitive Load Theory
Cognitive Load Theory is a psychological concept that focuses on the amount of mental effort and resources required for learning and processing information. It explores how the capacity of our working memory, which is the part of our memory responsible for temporarily holding and manipulating information, affects our ability to understand and learn new concepts.
The theory suggests that our cognitive resources are limited, and when we encounter information that exceeds our cognitive capacity, it can lead to cognitive overload. This overload can hinder learning and comprehension, making it difficult for individuals to process and retain the information effectively.
There are three types of cognitive load:
Intrinsic Cognitive Load: This is the inherent complexity of the material being learned. Complex concepts or unfamiliar information can contribute to intrinsic cognitive load.
Extraneous Cognitive Load: This refers to the unnecessary cognitive effort imposed by how information is presented. Poorly designed materials or distractions can increase extraneous cognitive load.
Germane Cognitive Load: This type of load is associated with the cognitive effort invested in understanding and integrating new information into existing knowledge structures. It contributes positively to learning.
In the context of psychedelics, Cognitive Load Theory gains a unique perspective. Psychedelics often enhance perception and cognitive flexibility, potentially altering how cognitive load is experienced and managed. Studying these substances can potentially also provide insights into optimizing the balance between intrinsic, extraneous, and germane cognitive load.
For example, while under the influence of psychedelics, individuals might experience heightened sensory perception and increased associative thinking, which can offer a clearer understanding of extraneous cognitive load.
Designers could learn from psychedelic experiences to eliminate unnecessary complexities and distractions, reducing not only cognitive overload but also striving to create sustainable and simplified materials.
Psychedelics, Design and Human Behaviour
Design can subtly influence human behaviour through persuasive techniques. Behavioural psychology, with its emphasis on conditioning and reinforcement, plays a significant role in persuasive design. Techniques like positive reinforcement, social proof, and scarcity are strategically employed to encourage specific actions or decisions.
Psychedelics, with their profound impact on perception and cognition, could be a tool to foster design innovation by unlocking new realms of creativity and insight. These substances can alter the way designers perceive space, colour, and form, leading to novel and unconventional approaches in their work. By breaking down traditional cognitive barriers and enhancing associative thinking, psychedelics can inspire unique solutions and out-of-the-box ideas that might not surface through conventional means. The altered states of consciousness induced by psychedelics can facilitate a deeper understanding of human behaviour and emotional responses, enabling designers to create more empathetic and user-centric products and experiences.
In this way, psychedelics could catalyze pushing the boundaries of design, encouraging a more holistic and innovative approach that aligns closely with human needs and behaviours; as well as Nature’s needs and behaviours. Can we simply apply Psychedelics as a Design Philosophy without necessarily needing to resort to the substances themselves?
