CF.Digital on constructing mental models in the consumer or how to create a resource that will live on

I love sharing experiences — especially when they involve the practical application of scientific facts.
Today, let’s talk about neurobiology and how it can be useful when developing a digital resource and writing a strategy.

According to 2016 statistics from audit firms, 90% of promising products, ideas, and projects fail within a year. However, 10% manage to succeed.
Maybe they know some forbidden spell? Or perhaps they have a pocket-sized goldfish that grants wishes? Or is it just natural selection at work?

The truth is more complex: the successful 10% work not only on their product, but also on the thinking, intuition, and associations of the end consumer.
Our brain is deeply concerned with protecting us and tries to minimize the noise created by hundreds of competing brands. That’s why it gives each idea just one chance — and when the need arises, it assembles a decision puzzle in milliseconds based on previous experiences.

Joaquín Fuster, a neurobiologist at the University of California, developed a model of the symbiosis between sensory (smell, taste, sound, image, touch) and motor (behavior, movement, speech) signals in the brain, and how they are reconstructed into mental models of decision-making. These models not only help reach the consumer’s heart — they make you stay there.

That’s why transnational corporations dedicate so much time to packaging design, tactile sensations, color combinations, user interfaces, and of course, the context in which the idea exists. For example:

• The song “Magic Moments” makes us want to drink coffee
• Light blue packaging signals to the brain: “This is a low-fat product”
• The smell of cinnamon paired with holiday themes creates a feeling of home comfort

It’s the same with websites. For instance, we all now recognize that three horizontal lines in the upper corner indicate a menu, and that side arrows on the homepage usually imply a slider with key offers. Or, say, a heart icon on a product card means “add to favorites.”

How it works: we open 6–10 tabs and analyze them to fulfill our needs.
The brain processes everything in fractions of a second and gives feedback:
“Positive user experience detected — let’s proceed,”
or: “This will solve our problem with minimal effort — let’s stay.”

This is how interaction patterns are formed.

And now, the cherry on top — the must-haves that will help your website survive:

1) Solve a problem

Your resource must solve a specific user’s problem.
If your site doesn’t help users complete their task, something went wrong at the strategy stage.

2) Design and test user interfaces for your actual audience

Your target audience can’t be everyone.
Your site should be understandable and usable for the people whose problems it is designed to solve.
If you're creating a site for medical professionals, there’s no point testing it on dog trainers.
Segment your audience carefully — this helps the brain recognize it’s in the right, familiar place.

3) Combine innovation with user familiarity

You need to give the brain something new, but presented through familiar information.
If it’s too complicated — the brain won’t get it.
If it’s just “like a well-known brand,” the brain won’t bother remembering your offer or logo.
That means the chances of a repeat conversion are minimal.

4) Offer the brain obvious hypotheses via mental cues

The sky is blue. Kittens are cute. Cars are faster than bicycles. Cashmere is soft.
These are truths the brain accepts automatically — it doesn’t need to question them.
So offer the brain a hypothesis that presents your offer as obvious and unquestionable.

5) Remember that within one audience, there are visuals, auditories, kinesthetics, and analyticals

Think about every perception type.
This doesn’t mean you need to upload video for visuals or describe textures for kinesthetics.
It means each type has distinct behavioral traits that you can use when designing communication logic.

Your website will thrive if your idea solves a problem, is clear to the end user, easy to use, obvious in its decision-making path, and adapted to typical mental models.
Sounds simple — and it is, as long as you remember and apply it.
And when you do, your users will behave on your website exactly the way you want them to.

Published on SOSTAV.ua