Designing with the Mind in Mind

Chapter 1 We Perceive What We Expect

Our perception of the world around us is not a true depiction of what is actually there. We perceive, to a large extent, what we expect to perceive. Our expectations—and therefore our perceptions—are biased by three factors:

• the past: our experience

• the present: the current context

• the future: our goals

Perception Biased by Experience

Imagine that you own a large insurance company. You are meeting with a real estate manager, discussing plans for a new campus of company buildings. The campus consists of a row of five buildings, the last two with T-shaped courtyards providing light for the cafeteria and fitness center. If the real estate manager showed you the map shown in Figure 1.1, you would see ...