The Von Restorff effect states that striking objects that have a rare feature are much better remembered than objects of which there are many similar ones. In a group of similar objects, a unique element stands out because of its difference and remains in the memory much longer.

Unfortunately, this principle is very often misinterpreted by UX bloggers and UX/UI designers. They often use it as a reason why a call-to-action or a warning symbol should be highlighted or stand out clearly from its surroundings.

That is not what the Von Restorff effect is about at all. The Von Restorff effect refers to the good memorability of isolated elements. However, this plays no role for either a warning symbol or a call to action. The aim of a call to action or a warning symbol is only to attract attention in a targeted way. This phenomenon of attention control through visual stimuli is referred to as "salience or Salience effect".

Origin

The Von Restorff effect was first described by Hedwig Restorff in 1933. She examined how the isolation of an element within a list influences its memorability.

  • Restorff, H. (1933). On the recall of objects under similarly designed processes

Application in UX and UI design

The Von Restorff effect can be used in design or communication environments when it is important for people to remember something. For example, when a new product or company name is being sought, names that differ significantly from those already in use in the industry are particularly useful because the target audience can easily remember them.

However, it should be noted that excessive application of the Restorff effect weakens it and has the opposite effect. After all, by definition, emphasis is only given when very few elements differ from very many. It is therefore important to use the effect strategically in communication only for elements that need to be easily remembered.

Impact on the User Experience

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Further information