Behavioral Scientist Susan Weinschenk: Using Vision Science to Design Better Products

When you look at an image, you’re actually noticing the periphery, not the center. Yet many website designers place the most important information in the middle of the page. Behavioral psychologist Susan Weinschenk has a long list of such phenomena. In this video from L2’s recent Consumer Behavior clinic, she makes a persuasive case that product designers should pay attention to the psychology of vision. “We have this impression that your eyes see something and it goes into your brain. It’s not like that,” Weinschenk says in the video. Susan Weinschenk has a Ph.D. in Psychology and over 30 years of experience as a behavioral scientist. She is a consultant to Fortune 1000 companies, start-ups, and government and non-profits. Dr. Weinschenk is the author of several books, including 100 Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People, 100 MORE Things Every Designer Needs To Know About People, and How To Get People To Do Stuff. Her clients include Medtronic. Walmart, Disney, Amazon, The Mayo Clinic, and the European Union Commission. Dr. Weinschenk is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin, and writes two popular blogs — one at her own website (www.blog.theteamw.com) and “Brain Wise: Work better, work smarter” for Psychology Today.