The Framework
Five layers. One goal.
“Can’t perceive anything without the bandwidth to do so.”
The brain conserves energy. Less thinking means more action. This is foundational because everything else requires mental bandwidth to perceive. If the user is overloaded, nothing else matters — they’re gone.
In practice: reduce choices at each step, show only what’s needed now, use smart defaults for 80% of users, and eliminate unnecessary fields, steps, and decisions.
Causal chain: Fewer choices → less mental effort → faster decisions → more conversions.
Simply Smart Home: Site presented “very matter-of-fact statements and not much else.” Users had to work to figure out what the product did or why they’d want it. Restructured content to answer the questions users actually have — what is this, who is it for, why should I care — before they have to ask.
“Users form first impressions the same way on sites as they do with people in real life — we have a split second to make our best one.”
You have 50 milliseconds to pass the “is this trustworthy?” test. The threshold isn’t world-class — it’s “not sketchy.” If your site triggers the alarm, they’re gone before conscious thought kicks in.
Hero sections that immediately communicate value. Strategic use of faces — the only thing humans pattern-recognize from birth. Visual quality consistent with price point. Color and typography that signal the right personality.
Causal chain: Faces in hero → instant pattern recognition → positive emotional response → trust established before thinking begins.
Simply Smart Home: Added smiling faces in hero product graphics — smart frames displaying family photos. Faces are the only thing humans pattern-recognize from birth. Drove direct conversions and brand awareness; visitors felt warmth, not “another gadget.”
iO Theater: Hobbyist WordPress site triggered the “this doesn’t look like a real theater” alarm. Clearing that perception barrier alone moved online ticket sales from 50% to 75%.
“They wouldn’t take this business seriously because they don’t do so on their website.”
Information that’s easier to process is perceived as more trustworthy and converts better. Visual quality must match price point. Consistency across all touchpoints sends the signal that you’re real.
Clean typography with adequate contrast. Predictable layouts that match mental models. Unified branding and collateral — no mixed signals.
Causal chain: Unified branding → feels professional → perceived as trustworthy → clears the “would I buy from this?” bar.
Simply Smart Home: Basic template, no branding system, $150+ price point. Customers “wouldn’t take this business seriously.” Created unified brand system and style guide. Perceived quality matched price point — price objections decreased, vendors became more interested.
Competitor insight: “Aura frames put weights in their frames to make them feel less cheap and charge more.” Perception of quality is manipulable.
“Protect the customer from internal stakeholder preferences.”
Design for how people actually behave and feel, not what they say or what features do. Research behavior, not stated preferences. Find the emotional core — what do they feel after using this?
Audit messaging: is it feature-focused or outcome-focused? Compare survey data vs. analytics — the gap is where perception bias lives.
Causal chain: Emotional tagline → connects to real desire → resonates with target customer → action.
Simply Smart Home: Marketing focused on screen resolution, WiFi, app features. Workshopped the team through “what does this product actually do for the user emotionally?” Discovery: it’s about connection, not technology. Tagline: “Stay connected, even when you’re apart” — which Aura later stole. Best validation possible.
“They’re hunters looking for prey, and it’s my job to make a trail for them.”
Structure choices to guide behavior. Navigation should reflect user goals, not org charts. Make the desired path the obvious path.
Strategic default selections. Show the premium option first so the standard feels like a deal. Reduce choice paralysis through smart categorization. Put your CTA where decisions naturally happen.
Causal chain: Clear path → user finds goal → reduced friction → purchase completed.
Simply Smart Home: Homepage “didn’t answer any of the user’s questions, goals, or form a good impression.” Rebuilt as a trail: visitor lands → sees emotional hook (faces, connection) → understands product → sees social proof → clear path to purchase.