MENTAL MODELS: PRIMING

SUBTLE VISUAL OR VERBAL SUGGESTIONS HELP US RECALL SPECIFIC INFORMATION, INFLUENCING HOW WE RESPOND.

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How might this apply to your business?
Choose images or words suggesting a specific concept you’d like associated with an interaction. This can include everything from subtle micro copy beneath a form field to the style of photography used on a page. You can set expectations and direct what is brought into short-term memory by choosing predictable associations. Also examine what is suggested by the imagery and language on your site.

See also: Anchoring & Adjustment, Visual Imagery, Conceptual Metaphor, Humor Effect, Sensory Appeal

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In the whirl of our day-to-day interactions, it’s all too easy to forget the nuances that distinguish great teams, great cultures, and great products/services.

Mental Model Flash Cards bring together insights from psychology into an easy reference and brainstorming tool. Each card describes one insight into human behavior and suggests ways to apply this to your teams as well as the design of your products and services.

MENTAL MODELS: FRAMING

THE WAY IN WHICH ISSUES AND DATA ARE STATED CAN ALTER OUR JUDGMENT AND AFFECT DECISIONS.

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How might this apply to your business?

How are you presenting choices in your system? What are the available options? An implied story makes the most desirable choice more obvious, especially for new or difficult concepts. For example, framing donations as costing “less than a cup of coffee a day” encourages people to rationalize a monthly pledge.

See also: Conceptual Metaphor, Story, Loss Aversion