<aside> ℹ️ The Von Restorff effect, also known as The Isolation Effect, predicts that when multiple similar objects are present, the one that differs from the rest is most likely to be remembered.

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The theory was coined by German psychiatrist and pediatrician Hedwig von Restorff (1906–1962), who, in her 1933 study, found that when participants were presented with a list of categorically similar items with one distinctive, isolated item on the list, memory for the item was improved.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ltcSNSjhR0

This is the main reason why all call-to-actions (CTAs) look different from the rest of the action buttons on a site or application.

We want users to be able to differentiate between a simple action button and a CTA, in order for them to have a clear understanding what the CTA does, whilst also remembering it throughout their use of the application or site.

Takeaways

1. Make important information or key actions visually distinctive.
2. Use restraint when placing emphasis on visual elements to avoid them competing with one another and to ensure salient items don’t get mistakenly identified as ads.
3. Don’t exclude those with a color vision deficiency or low vision by relying exclusively on color to communicate contrast.
4. Carefully consider users with motion sensitivity when using motion to communicate contrast.

Resources

Laws of UX: Von Restorff Effect

Psychology in Design (Part 1)

The Psychology Principles Every UI/UX Designer Needs to Know

Von Restorff Effect on Wikipedia

Superior pattern processing is the essence of the evolved human brain

Working Memory and Attention – A Conceptual Analysis and Review