A couple of interesting observations from articles I’ve seen in the last week on the subject of (almost subliminal) influence; the first, some research into the impact that fonts have on how believable written information is (in short – use Baskerville over Helvetica for a small, but statistically significant increase in credibility); and the second an episode of The Food Programme examining how the crockery and cutlery we eat with impacts on the flavour of food, both chemically and psychologically.
The impact that the subconscious has on our reactions and behaviours is really interesting, and traditionally been so overlooked by the world of IT. The fonts, the layouts, the colours and the pictures that confront or cajole users of apps have demonstrable impact and the world of A/B testing gives a rigour to this to enable developers, designers and marketers to fine-tune (if not necessarily understand the reasons for) the impact that their application have on achieving the desired outcomes with end consumers.
So next time you find yourself whiling away hours working out what font you should use in your latest Powerpoint presentation just think: it could be you are making significant decisions about the impact your message will have, rather than just procrastination…
mmitII 