Change blindness

#30 - May.2022

In consciousness science, there is a particular phenomenon called "change blindness" which refers to how we fail to perceive slow changes around us.

Today, you are slightly different than yesterday but you don't necessarily acknowledge this change. Nevertheless, we are all in constant transformation due to our experiences and learnings.

In design, many times we fail to recognize this phenomenon. We assume our customers are static. They are stereotypes defined upfront and fixed through time.

But customers change. All the time. Their expectations, needs, and motivations are constantly evolving. Ignoring this change is losing the chance to discover new needs and opportunities.

From time to time, reassess your assumptions about your customers. Is likely that your initial thoughts are now outdated and new insights will arise. Design for constant change.