The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us
I scanned the back and was interested enough to purchase the book, and thus far, I'm glad that I did. It's an interesting read that explores the idea of the "illusion of attention" among other things. The premise (and title) of the book is based on an experiment conducted by the authors in which they show people a video of people playing basketball. One team is dressed in white, the other in black, and they ask the people to count the number of passes made by one team or the other, ignoring the passes from the other team.
What they do not tell people is that halfway through the video, a person in a gorilla suit will walk across the screen, pause, look directly at the camera and beat its chest, and then walk off the other side of the screen. They've conducted this experiment numerous times over the years, and the results are fairly consistent. About half of the people viewing the video don't even see the gorilla. An excerpt (p. 6) from an interview with a test subject shows a disbelieving reaction:
Q: Did you notice anything unusual while you were doing the counting task?
A: No.
Q: Did you notice anything other than the players?
A: Well, there were some elevators, and S's painted on the wall. I don't know what the S's were for?
Q: Did you notice anyone other than the players?
A: No.
Q: Did you notice a gorilla?
A: A what?!
It seems ridiculous, on the surface at least, that someone would miss something that intellectually appears to be so obvious. In fact, the first chapter is entitled: "I think I would have seen that" in homage to the common reaction people have when questioned about what they did or didn't see.
It really is a fascinating read that explores the fact that just because we "look" doesn't mean we actually "see", even though common perception tends to be "You HAD to see that! You were looking right at it!". I haven't finished the book yet, so can't make a final recommendation, but what I've read so far has got me thinking about how exactly these theories would apply to the world of Information Design.
We talk about the need for clarity and effectiveness, but how can we be clear and effective when people are capable of missing what is right in front of their face? Consider the number of logos which are so popular and recognizable in today's world. We know who these company's are, and what they represent, just based on a simple image. Yet, there are many logos with hidden images that we've been staring at almost our entire lives yet may not have ever seen.
The Fed Ex logo is one of the more popular examples of this:
The colors may change depending on incarnation, but this is the basic design. I have to admit that I was one of the many people who never realized that there was an arrow created by the negative space between the Ex. How many times had I stared at that logo and not once did I see it? It seemed so obvious once I did, and you can never "un-see" it once you've seen it, but it's the same basic premise of the illusion of attention discussed in this book. I looked at it so many times that I feel like I should have seen it. Like the gorilla standing amongst basketball players.
Information Designers really need to consider this. Ultimately it boils down to "the obvious might not actually be so obvious". It's something that should be included in the process of figuring out your audience and your intent behind the message. Do you want "hidden" messages in your design? Doing so will appeal to some, insult others (the book mentions people who accused the authors of doctoring the tape because there was 'no way' they could have missed the gorilla themselves), and completely go over the head of others. It goes back to the critical foundation of knowing your audience, and knowing further that as simple as your design may be, it still might not be simple enough.
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