Automaticity: color, smell, and sensory cues capture attention before thought.
observation — attributed to Ben Parr
Parr's concept of automaticity is that certain sensory inputs capture attention on a pre-cognitive level. Color is the number-one factor. Contrast matters; cultural associations matter (black for sophistication in Western culture; orange and red and yellow for excitement). Smell matters because attractive scents both register in the moment and produce memory associations that resurface elsewhere. The implication for event and brand design is operational. The producer who treats color and scent as decorative leaves the most powerful attention-capture instruments unused. The producer who treats them as instruments designs the sensory environment as part of the message rather than as background.
For event designers, brand experience leads, and venue producers thinking about sensory environment as part of the message. The observation is most useful as a frame when sensory design has been delegated to vendors without strategic input.
automaticity, color, smell, sensory-design