Author Archives: Genetics of Design

In 1980, the psychologist Peter Thompson from the University of York published a one-page paper in the journal Perception, entitled “Margaret Thatcher: A new illusion.” In it he noted how psychologists know people struggle to read expressions on upside down … Continue reading →

We’re thrilled to announce Planning Magazine, the flagship publication of the American Planning Association (APA), made our article their cover story this month. The story’s below, here’s how they introduced it: “This month’s Planning Magazine probes below the surface with an … Continue reading →

After eye tracking a photo of the young man below, we saw how compelling a face could be. Within 3/10 of a second, the 33 people in our pilot study focused on his eyes and mouth. They proceeded to go back and look … Continue reading →

The Boston Globe took note of our eye-tracking study this Sunday in an IDEAS article. Follow this link or read the article below. The design of Boston City Hall is a charged topic. Some people love it, others hate it, … Continue reading →

When we look at buildings, what do we see first? What attracts us most? What grabs our attention? Last month, we began a pilot study exploring these questions at Boston’s Institute of Human Centered Design (IHCD) using an off-the-shelf ‘eye-tracker’ … Continue reading →