Читать книгу Figure It Out - Stephen P. Anderson - Страница 37

Everything we know, we know because of incoming sensory information. An infant, before she can even see clearly, learns through tactile and auditory sensations. A toddler, by accidentally touching a hot stove, learns that very hot things can be harmful. From an evolutionary perspective, foul smells signal danger, while avoiding stinky foods is probably a good survival mechanism. Our understanding of the world is due to the input provided by the world that comes in through our bodies.

This then forms the basis for the many cases that show how altering sensory information affects perceptions. For example, research has shown that weight has an influence on how you perceive drinks—a whiskey served in a heavier glass is perceived as a more premium beverage. If we turn to car design, with something as simple as a brake lever, sensations such as grip force, lever position, sound pressure, and the noise of a brake lever are all coordinated to shape our perceptions of performance.⁶

The takeaway for those of us who want to design information environments: When we manipulate sensory information, we alter perceptions.

While some of our senses are far more efficient and discerning than other senses (such as vision for humans), it is ultimately the combination of this incoming sensory information that the brain uses to make sense of reality. We understand and learn with all of our senses—and the more senses you engage simultaneously, the more likely someone will be able to understand and recall that information. (This is critical to understanding why whole-body learning or having tangible interactions aids in understanding.) Understanding is based on available sensory information.