{
    "version" : "https://jsonfeed.org/version/1",
    "content" : "news",
    "type" : "single",
    "title" : "The Data Briefing: How Neuroscience and Communication Theory Inform Good User Experience Design |Digital.gov",
    "description": "The Data Briefing: How Neuroscience and Communication Theory Inform Good User Experience Design",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/25/the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"The Data Briefing: How Neuroscience and Communication Theory Inform Good User Experience Design","summary" : "UX is everything from the visual design to the navigation structure of the website or mobile app. This month, DigitalGov is focusing on UX design.","date" : "2015-11-25T11:00:51-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"bbrantley" : "Bill Brantley"},"topics" : {
        
            "design" : "Design",
            "emerging-tech" : "Emerging tech",
            "software-engineering" : "Software engineering",
            "user-experience" : "User experience"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2015-11-25-the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2015/11/2015-11-25-the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2015/11/2015-11-25-the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2015/11/2015-11-25-the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design.md","slug" : "the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/11/25/the-data-briefing-how-neuroscience-and-communication-theory-inform-good-user-experience-design/","content" :"\u003cp\u003eStanding on the corner, waiting in the rain, I swear I’ll never, ever, use that app again. Why? Because the bad user experience (UX) design was preventing me from determining when the Metrobus would arrive.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUX is everything from the visual design to the navigation structure of the website or mobile app. This month, \u003ca href=\"https://digital.gov/2015/11/09/how-ux-effects-change-in-government-one-test-one-customer-survey-at-a-time/\"\u003eDigitalGov is focusing on UX design\u003c/a\u003e. Good UX design is based on understanding how people perceive and process information on everything from websites to mobile apps. In this article, I will describe two fundamental neuroscience concepts and one communication theory that explain how to create good UX design.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"cognitive-barriers\"\u003eCognitive Barriers\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first neuroscience concept is \u003cstrong\u003ecognitive barriers\u003c/strong\u003e. Cognitive barriers can best be illustrated by the difficulties I had with a mobile app designed to display information about the Metro system. First, the number of steps to find information seemed excessive. Second, the perceived length of the steps was also excessive in that I had to do a lot of scrolling just to find the right address. Finally, the difficulty of the instructions was also bad UX in that I had to input a number from the bus stop sign and then verify the number with the address (again!). Try doing that when you are balancing an umbrella in one hand and working with frozen fingers in the hand holding the smartphone. All these barriers required more cognitive resources than I had available on a cold, rainy November morning.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/11/600-x-400-Colourful-abstract-brain-illustration-airiesummer-iStock-Thinkstock-482546476.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Colourful abstract brain illustration\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003ch2 id=\"cognitive-load\"\u003eCognitive Load\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe second neuroscience concept is understanding how the mobile app, website or data visualization affects your user’s cognitive resources. \u003cstrong\u003eCognitive load\u003c/strong\u003e describes how much of the user’s working memory is required for a task or decision. You may have heard of the famous “7 plus or minus 2” theory, which explains people can only keep seven concepts at a time in their working memory.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis applies to UX when designing navigation for a website or mobile app. Presenting a long menu list on a mobile app can overtax a user’s cognitive load because the user needs mental resources to parse each menu item and then choose the appropriate item. Some UX designers try to lighten the cognitive load by presenting icons, but these can also be mentally taxing as users try to determine if the icon looks more like a bird or an ice-cream cone. Then, the user is left to wonder what kind of choice the bird icon represents.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"elaboration-likelihood-model\"\u003eElaboration Likelihood Model\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUnderstanding the two neuroscience concepts of cognitive barriers and cognitive load helps in understanding the \u003cstrong\u003eElaboration Likelihood Model\u003c/strong\u003e (ELM). ELM is a communication theory that explains how people are persuaded by the way they process information. People can take the central route in processing information whereby they are highly-interested in the message and the strengths of the arguments in the message. In contrast, people that take the peripheral route are more influenced by other factors surrounding the message. They could be influenced by the overall credibility of the source, how attractively the message is displayed, or what they will gain from receiving the message.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"how-do-these-concepts-support-a-good-ux\"\u003eHow Do These Concepts Support a Good UX?\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eELM recognizes the importance of a good message. What is the purpose of the website or mobile app and what should the user get out of using the website or mobile app?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHow do the design elements reinforce the message and make it easier for people to process the message and the arguments supporting the message?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/11/250-x-375-USDA-Ask-Karen-iPhone-app-home-screen.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Home screen of the Ask Karen iPhone app.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\nDoes the design help guide the decision-making process by reducing cognitive barriers and cognitive load?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIs there a good balance between message and design so that the user does not veer off the central route into a peripheral route?\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLet’s examine a federal government mobile app that has good UX design. Because it is the holiday season and that means lots of food, I find \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ask-karen-from-usda/id439084571?mt=8\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eAsk Karen\u003c/a\u003e from the USDA to be especially helpful.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom the iTunes description: “Ask Karen provides 24/7 assistance and tips on preventing foodborne illness, safe food handling and storage, and safe preparation of meat, poultry, and egg products.” The opening screen has a simple interface that just asks if you prefer the English or Spanish version (extra points for being bilingual). The menu systems are easy to navigate, and the site helps keep me on the central route of ELM through the good use of design elements such as easy-to-read fonts, intuitive icons and minimal scrolling.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eGood UX design is essential to unlocking the value of federal government data. Understanding the neuroscience and communication theory behind how people process information will help the developers, agency communicators and data scientists best present and deliver vitally-needed data products and services to the American public.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/11/600-x-434-USDA-Ask-Karen-iPhone-app-support-and-food-allergies-screens.jpg\"\n    alt=\"Support and food allergies screens of the USDA Ask Karen iPhone app.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\n\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eEach week, \u003ca href=\"/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/topics/emerging-tech/\"\u003eThe Data Briefing\u003c/a\u003e showcases the latest federal data news and trends.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eDr. William Brantley is the Training Administrator for the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s Global Intellectual Property Academy. You can find out more about his personal work in open data, analytics, and related topics at \u003ca href=\"http://billbrantley.com/\"\u003eBillBrantley.com\u003c/a\u003e. All opinions are his own and do not reflect the opinions of the USPTO or GSA.\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}