“Your brain is locked in the silent, dark vault of your skull…”
“…and its only contact with the outside world is via the electrical signals.”
Source: David Eagleman, neuroscientist
Design begins in our nervous system, long before our rational mind joins in.
Our brain has about 86 billion neurons, with over 1 quadrillion (1,000 trillion) connections.
Do you think understanding your brain might be slightly important?
I do.
Design can hijack your brain
— or support it.
Some design aims to addiction. Other nurture empathy and presence. Big tech plays your attention with exploiting evolutionary glitches in our brains, using things like
– infinite scroll
– variable rewards (a.k.a. slot-machine logic)
– read receipts & streaks
– push notifications
– autoplay
– algorithmic echo chambers
– social comparison triggers
– scarcity loops
– and micro-dopamine hits
All carefully (carelessly!) engineered to keep you hooked — not connected. It’s called dopamine loops, beibi.
Attention-driven tech play with our brain’s dopamine system — the one wired for seeking, not satisfaction. By triggering unpredictable rewards (likes, alerts, scrolls), they keep our brain in a loop of craving.
By understanding our neuroresponses to different environments,
we can support human wellbeing.
Source: Sjövall & Spiers (2024)
Design goes to our wiring.
Empathy & neuroscience is the future of design. Our environments shape us in ways we’ve barely begun to understand.
Our body responds – even when we don’t notice.
Design
Loves
Neuroscience.
What happens when design stops chasing attention and starts earning trust?
In my work, design meets neuroscience. Not in theory, but in your nervous system, giving information how we can design better lives.
Understanding saves lives. Medical errors = 3rd leading cause of death in U.S. (Makary & Daniel, 2016). Interruptions raise risk — redesign cut errors by 88 % (Kliger et al., 2009; 2012).
Neuroscience shows: story aids memory. Recall increases by up to 60 % (Green & Brock, 2000; Josselyn et al., 2015).
Spaces shape us. Natural light and spatial clarity reduce cortisol levels and increase cognitive performance by up to 25%. (Küller et al. 2006; Mehta & Zhu 2009)
Empathy is our super power, and neural. Mirror neurons activate, oxytocin connects us to each other (Rizzolatti & Craighero 2004; Feldman 2012).
Empathy is co-regulation. Mirror neurons activate when we witness others’ emotions — it’s how we connect (Rizzolatti & Craighero, 2004).
Neurodesign can support our wellbeing. Spatial experience, emotion, and interaction map directly to how the brain makes meaning — physically and digitally.
We are designed for connection. We read faces in 100 ms (Willis & Todorov 2006). Best design understands that.
We are wired for nature. Just a view of nature can reduce hospital stays by 9% (Ulrich, 1984.)
We are designed to each other faces. We respond in milliseconds – face perception takes 100 ms (Willis & Todorov 2006).
The neuroscience of the space. Architecture, space, light and layout are cognitive and psychological tools.
My design is grounded in the intersection of
→ human-centered design
→ cognitive, social & affective neuroscience
→ architecture & embodied psychology
→ phenomenology & engineering
Why?
Because your nervous system doesn’t care about silos.
Design shouldn’t either.
How?
→ By decoding signals, not styles.
→ Read onward.
Every signal leaves a trace in us.
Cortisol (stress)
↑ Heart rate
↓ Executive control
Narrow focus
Shallow breath
Fear-biased memory
↓ Neuroplasticity (BDNF)
Inflammation ↑
Decision errors ↑
Coherence (balance):
↑ HRV (heart rhythm)
↑ Clarity, open attention
Deep breath
↑ Reflection, trust
↑ Memory encoding
↓ Impulsivit
Immune stability
↑ Learning potential
Sources: McEwen (2007); Porges (2011); Arnsten (2009); Ulrich (1984); Kaplan & Kaplan (1989); Sapolsky (2004); Thayer & Lane (2000);
Park et al. (2010); van der Kolk (2014); Tang et al. (2015); Davidson (2000); Raichlen & Polk (2013); Lehrer et al. (2000); Hölzel et al. (2011); Kim et al. (2013).
Designing with neuroscience can (and always should) be on the side of the Good Guys.
I want to work with the good guys. (I only can speak for myself, but I would guess that’s the motive for other researchers as well in this particular field of interest would be the same.)
Stories shape
memory.
Literally.
Source: Bruner, 1990.
No algorithm ever has lived inside our funny little leather bags.
(Human) belonging isn’t just emotional.
It creates the neurobiological conditions for:
– stress regulation
– immune resilience
– cognitive flexibility
That’s not a side effect.
That’s a design brief.
Sources: Cole et al. (2007); Eisenberger & Cole (2012); Porges (2011)
Q&A: Questions? Good.
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In my work, it’s the tool to understand our neuro responses in our lives to support better wellbeing.
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There are many approaches to neurodesign and neuromarketing, but no, I would say the work I do is focused on increasing wellbeing, not conversions.
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No, but I do.
Understanding how the brain filters, reacts and forms meaning helps me design systems that don’t just look good, but work on a cognitive level. It’s not aesthetics first – it’s perception first. -
Everything, especially now.
Design decisions shape behavior – consciously or not. In AI-driven systems, ethics isn’t a layer on top. It’s the architecture, my dear. You can read more about my ethics and values on the page dedicated to them. -
It’s design for how the brain handles complexity.
Cognitive load, attention, decision friction – these are not abstract terms. They’re measurable brain states. I design to reduce mental fatigue and support clarity. -
We don’t – unless we design for it.
Synthetic media can mimic tone, style and even emotion. But it can’t recreate intention. That’s where human design still matters: what’s made with care, contradiction and responsibility stands apart. Trust me. I’m pretty sure soon there will come out papers where this is being studied. -
Not by being louder – but by being clearer, calmer. More human.
When attention is a constantly being hijacked, nervous system–aligned, ethical design becomes a competitive edge.
it's the real stuff
our weird cracks and crumbs & stories that connect us.
→ Learn what is neurodesign
→ See curated work
→ See published novels & films
→ See my ethics & values