Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture (ANFA) hosts its fall conference, Connections: BridgeSynapses September 22-24 at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, CA. We’ll be sending along the poster below, the pilot-study of eye tracking Boston buildings, mentioned in a previous … Continue reading →

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 →

A few months ago, I attended an unusual high school reunion.  It was a special ‘tea’ for the alumnae of a girl’s high school which was getting its first major renovation in more than fifty years—and the grads were invited … Continue reading →

Hillary Clinton’s video officially launching her presidential campaign came out last month and we still can’t get enough of it. Why? It’s a picture-perfect demonstration of how the human brain works, what it’s built to focus on, and how it … Continue reading →

Do you see a face in Palladio’s Villa Rotunda? Do the windows on the second floor suggest eyes, and the portico a nose or mouth?  Or maybe the front door behind the columns represents the mouth, and the windows symmetrical about … Continue reading →