Recently completed research by Salvi, Bricolo, Franconeri, Kounios and Beeman links eliminating visual distractions and searching for insightful solutions to problems. The researchers found that study “participants blinked more frequently and for a longer total duration prior to problems that they solved by insight rather than by analysis.” This finding is consistent with carefully monitoring the visual complexity of spaces where insightful/creative thinking is encouraged, and keeping it to a moderate level. It also supports incorporating blank walls and similar areas in these sorts of places.
“Blinking the Eyes for Inspiration.” 2015. Observer, vol. 28, no. 8, p. 9.
Sally Augustin, PhD, a cognitive scientist, is the editor of Research Design Connections (www.researchdesignconnections.com), a monthly subscription newsletter and free daily blog, where recent and classic research in the social, design, and physical sciences that can inform designers’ work are presented in straightforward language. Readers learn about the latest research findings immediately, before they’re available elsewhere. Sally, who is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association, is also the author of Place Advantage: Applied Psychology for Interior Architecture (Wiley, 2009) and, with Cindy Coleman, The Designer’s Guide to Doing Research: Applying Knowledge to Inform Design (Wiley, 2012). She is a principal at Design With Science (www.designwithscience.com) and can be reached at sallyaugustin@designwithscience.com.