The Smarter Screen

Research by Psychologist Nelson Cowan shows that people can remember only four pieces of information at any given time. The rest is noise. 

Whenever the amount of information we consume exceeds our ability to process it, we stop noticing it.

In 2013, the United States government launched a new website designed to help people choose health insurance. The website included price comparisons and features on all local insurance plans. Yet, most people made poor insurance choices on the Web site. The typical person chose a plan that was too expensive for their needs and income. 

Another study found that giving consumers more health care options on sites decreased their ability to find the most suitable plan. As a result, 80% of people picked sub-optimally.

Screens can be designed using behavioural solutions and practical tools. We can use digital nudges and tailor them for our new online environment.

There are numerous differences in offline vs online thinking, which should be reflected in the designs of our screens. Since almost every business is now digital and nearly every consumer is making decisions online, it’s vital that we get these designs right.

In the past, we had to work hard to get any information. Now, a vast amount of information is just a click away. However, the knowledge is not always helpful. The abundance can become a burden. 

In the sea of information overload, the winners are those who can keep the attention of customers. A good mobile app narrows down the choices to a few good ones and offers a good default selection. The app also helps people narrow down the information into reasonably sized chunks that match their mental and emotional capacity.