DESIGN DETAILS SEND ALL SORTS OF CUES TO USERS. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR VISUALS ARE SAYING.

By Jerry Cao and Kamil Zieba and Matt Ellis excerpted for Fast Company

David McCandless, data journalist and infographic expert, explains in a compelling TED Talk how most of our brainpower goes into sight, though we may be hardly aware of it. Speaking about how the brain deals with incoming information, he notes that we’re only aware of 0.7% of what’s actually coming in: “…the bulk of it is visual,” says McCandless, “And it’s pouring in—it’s unconscious.”

WE HUMANS ARE SIGHT-DRIVEN CREATURES.
Vision is our dominant sense. While other animals rely more on hearing and smell, we humans are sight-driven creatures. This fact has major implications for interaction design. It means that every visual decision you make for your product will have an enormous impact on the interaction, even if only subconsciously on the part of the user. Stephen P. Anderson, a product design consultant, points out that visuals will affect more than the experience–-they’ll also affect the user’s behavior. This means that a good visual design can improve sales, increase signups and conversions, and encourage certain user behaviors.

Read More: http://www.fastcodesign.com/3046362/the-best-ux-visuals-follow-these-2-rules