Emotions are neurochemistry; design with the chemistry in mind.
observation — attributed to Barry Ross Rinehart
Rinehart's brain-science frame is operational. Emotions are chemical reactions felt across eighty-six billion neurons. Sensory radar detects something unique, sends a charge through axons and dendrites, releases a cocktail of neurotransmitters across synapses. Those synaptic connections are where memory comes from. The more unique the sensory input, the bigger the neurotransmitter release, the longer the connection lasts. The implication for designers is operational. Familiar neurotransmitters like serotonin (well-being), dopamine (pleasure), adrenaline (high-stress focus), oxytocin (bonding) can be triggered through specific design choices. The designer who knows what they are producing chemically can sequence experiences to produce specific cocktails.
For experience designers, event producers, and educators thinking about how the body remembers. The observation is most useful as a frame for design decisions that have been intuitive and could become more deliberate with the chemistry in mind.
neurotransmitters, chemistry, synaptic-connections, memory-formation