Neurodesign: How the Brain Makes Decisions (and How to Influence It)

Your customer doesn’t read your website. They *scan* it. And they decide in 50 milliseconds. It’s not their fault — it’s evolution. Our brain (reptilian brain) constantly searches for threats and opportunities while spending as little energy as possible. Neurodesign is not manipulation; it’s making the brain’s job easier.

System 1 vs System 2

Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman divided thinking into two systems:

• System 1 (fast): Automatic, emotional, instinctive. (“That button is red, I’ll click it.”)
• System 2 (slow): Logical, calculating, lazy. (“Does this €12 monthly fee include VAT?”)

Good design speaks to System 1. If you make the user think too much (cognitive load), System 2 turns on and says “I’ll do this later.” (And they never do.)

Eye movement: F‑pattern and Z‑pattern

We know exactly where people look. F‑pattern: On text‑heavy pages (blogs), people scan left to right, then a bit down, then right again. Z‑pattern: On landing pages, the gaze moves diagonally. Logo (top left) → CTA (top right) → Image (center) → Final CTA (bottom). Place important info (price, “Buy” button) along these lines.

FAQ: Neuro‑marketing