A Design With a Smile . . .

I found an article in a recent issue of Scientific American MIND magazine that reminded me of an observation I have received from more than one new web design client. Many new clients say that one of the things that most appeal to them about my web design are the appealing smiles of the models used in many of the web sites. I found it curious that something as seemingly insignificant as a smile would be a significant factor in attracting new web design clients. Now there seems to be scientific evidence that a smile can be a powerful memory aid!

In the April/May 2008 issue of MIND magazine, researchers at Duke University have found that the mind is better at remembering a person's face and name (whether in person or in a photo) if that face has a smile! It seems that a smiling face activates an area of the brain involved in reward processing. One researcher commented on the implications of this research: "We want to remember people who were kind to us, in case we interact with them in the future."

The lesson that we as web designers can take from this is that if we want people to remember our websites, make sure it has a warm smile in the design!