Image Source: Generated by CoPilot
Have you ever wondered why you clicked ‘Buy Now’ on a pair of running sneakers when you were initially on your phone to reply to a message you received from your uncle on Facebook? Or maybe you were ordering a refill of your favorite protein powder and ended up getting a shaker and a multivitamin supplement too. None of these purchases is by accident. Companies work with professional product designers to create deliberate design choices in the UI/UX of their website. These choices are rooted in behavioral economics. Whether it’s the color of the homepage, shape of the button, or the arrangement of their grid, design goes beyond aesthetics. Design is a form of persuasive psychology that knows how to make subtle nudges that influence our lives.
Design as a Behavioral Science Tool
Image Source: BrandTrust
Running through a cost-analysis for every micro decision of the day, like what articles you should read in a newsletter, or what you should have for breakfast, would slow you down to the point you wouldn’t get anything done. Making choices quickly and efficiently based on gut feelings and impulses is part of the human decision-making process, also known as behavioral economics (Ellen Lupton). Design elements like colors, sizing, and layout are a few design elements that play into the fact that people rely on two things. Shortcuts and emotions. To understand this further, let’s look at one of the six essential behavioral economics principles to see its impact on businesses. Loss Aversion.
Loss aversion refers to our tendency to emphasize the potential absence of something we already have more than the acquisition of something we don’t currently possess.
In a recent study, airline passengers were told they could sell their right to recline in their seats. On average, those who usually reclined wanted $41 to give up their ability to do so. Then, the experimenters changed the default, telling passengers they could not recline unless they paid an additional fee. In this case, recliners said they’d pay just $12 for the privilege.
The passengers should value their ability to recline at the same amount each time, no matter how the question was framed. But in the minds of real passengers, losing that privilege seemed far more significant than gaining it. (BrandTrust).
To better understand how design works, let’s explore perception and sensation.
The Psychology Behind Visual Decisions
Image Source: Canva
The only way to influence human perception with design is to understand the driving forces behind it. Gestalt Theory, a movement that originated in the 1920s, is a concept outlining several principles that unpack these driving forces and aim to make sense of how our minds perceive things in whole forms.
One principle within Gestalt Theory to explain this is proximity. When elements are laid out close together, you perceive them as belonging to the same group (Canva). Proximity is one of the many Gestalt Theory principles that reduces cognitive load and helps you make choices based on a gut feeling. Understanding how your sensory system perceives design by receiving information from your environment takes this one step further.
Design That Speaks to Our Senses
Image Source: Astriata
To create a lasting impact, design goes beyond visuals. Design uses images, sound, and textures to create digital experiences to a whole new level. Multi-sensory stimulation is proven to impact memory. According to an article from astriata, “when we experience something for the first time, our senses are stimulated, and a brief memory called ‘sensory memory’ may become part of our short-term or long-term memory. Research shows that learning and the absorption of new information is more effective when more than one sense is engaged.” (Astriata).
One of the best examples of multi-sensory design is McDonald’s delivery app. When you open it, the first thing you see is high-resolution shots of mouthwatering burgers that use bold and warm colors to trigger appetite. This is coupled with intentional sound design with their push notifications that have certain noises for deals. You’ll also notice the app design incorporates haptic feedback by integrating subtle vibrations in its UX that are triggered when you place an order.
Design isn’t neutral. Design intentionally leverages colors, shapes, layout, and so much more to influence your perception and decisions. Whether it’s understanding principles of behavioral economics like loss aversion, unpacking the specifics of gestalt theory, or tapping into multi-sensory design like haptic feedback, understanding the role design plays enables you to better understand human behavior.
Works Cited
“Simplicity, Symmetry and More: Gestalt Theory and the Design Principles It Gave Birth To.” Canva, http://www.canva.com/learn/gestalt-theory/. Accessed 22 Nov. 2025.
McLeod, Saul. “Visual Perception Theory in Psychology.” Simply Psychology, 16 June 2023, http://www.simplypsychology.org/perception-theories.html.
“6 Essential Behavioral Economics Principles for Business.” Brandtrust, Brandtrust, 12 Dec. 2024, brandtrust.com/blog/behavioral-economics/.
“How Multi-Sensory Web Design Can Improve the User Experience.” Astriata, 17 Oct. 2024, astriata.com/how-multi-sensory-web-design-improves-user-experience/.
Lupton, Ellen. Design Is Storytelling. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum, 2021.
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