Category Archives: People-centric Design

Do the ‘Fish Experiment’ to ‘See’ What We’re Built to See

Posted on March 25, 2020 by Genetics of Design

Did you ever wonder about the strange way humans take in the world? Like the animals we are, of course! A quick way to see this is with the ‘Fish Experiment.’ Look at the images below and note where your … Continue reading →

Posted in Neuroscience, Patterns, People-centric Design, Primal Vista | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Public Realm: What Cars Took Away + Never Gave Back

Posted on January 3, 2020 by Genetics of Design

Where would you rather be? The main street above or the one below? We’d guess you’ll pick the one most at top, even though these images show the very same street — photographed about 100 years apart! It’s Commonwealth Avenue … Continue reading →

Posted in City Planning, Design, People-centric Design, Walkability | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Why eye track the Mona Lisa? To see your brain at work!

Posted on July 1, 2019 by Genetics of Design

Humans are pattern recognition experts. And looking at Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa (c. 1503) below, listed as the world’s most viewed painting,  is a good way to see the pattern we’re most cut out to see. It’s the face, … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, Eye Tracking, Patterns, People-centric Design | 3 Comments

Imagine No Cars !

Posted on June 6, 2019 by Genetics of Design

“Imagine there’s no autos It’s easy if you try Only healthy walking And cycling ‘neath the sky” —A riff on John Lennon’s, Imagine Visitors to Kyoto, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Porto and Paris don’t have to imagine – they already have miles … Continue reading →

Posted in City Planning, Cycling, Exercise, Health, People-centric Design, Walkability | Leave a comment

Eye-tracking Architecture at Ux+Design/2019 Conference

Posted on April 18, 2019 by Genetics of Design

Thanks to the attendees and presenters at Ux+Design/2019, the 1st International Conference on Urban Experience and Design on April 26 at Tufts University. This conference brought together creative thinkers from around the world who are shaping ‘evidence-based’ design practices, ones … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, City Planning, Design, Eye Tracking, People-centric Design, STEM, Walkability | Tagged , | Leave a comment

A Trip to Tahoe: Walking the California/Nevada Divide

Posted on June 20, 2018 by Genetics of Design

When I asked the concierge for directions to cafes and shops, he told me to walk three blocks to the traffic lights, then turn right to California or left to Nevada. “You’ll see the difference,” he said. Indeed. Little did … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, City Planning, Health, People-centric Design, Walkability | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Updates to Our 2018 Art+Science Photo Contest

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Genetics of Design

Our new poster shows the kind of photograph that works well with our Art + Science Photo Project and the resulting heat map.  Please take some pictures. Join the fun. Find out what really draws us in with no conscious control. We’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Design, Eye Tracking, People-centric Design, STEM | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

O-x-y-t-o-c-i-n: The 8-letter Word Every Architect Should Know

Posted on April 1, 2018 by Genetics of Design

What are attributes of great design? It draws the eye. And you delight in taking it in—no matter your age, background or the times you live in. The buildings wordlessly beckon. But how? Turns out to understand why great buildings … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Biology, People-centric Design, STEM | Tagged | Leave a comment

Our 2018 Art+Science Photo Contest

Posted on March 29, 2018 by Genetics of Design

We’re thrilled to announce our grant from the Acton-Boxborough Cultural Council (ABCC) for a unique art + science study of two Massachusetts towns. This study uses photography, biometric tools and new findings in neuroscience to show how our unconscious behaviors govern … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, City Planning, Design, Eye Tracking, People-centric Design, STEM, Walkability | Tagged | Leave a comment

If You Want To See How People ‘See’ Boston City Hall – Eye Track it!

Posted on February 4, 2018 by Genetics of Design

Piazza del Campo in Siena, Italy and Boston’s City Hall Plaza are often cited as the best and worst of what architecture can be. The Italian piazza with its crenelated city hall and tightly-aligned buildings has invited public gathering and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, City Planning, Eye Tracking, People-centric Design, Walkability | 1 Comment