Order Matters—But Not the Way You Think: How Serial Position Gets Misused
Update: 2025-08-11
Description
In this episode, we uncover how the order in which information is presented affects what users remember—and what they forget. From the “primacy effect” that gives early items a cognitive boost, to the “recency effect” that gives the last ones staying power, you'll learn how sequence can make or break a design.
We explore:
- Why we remember the first and last items in a list better than the middle ones
- Why many designers mistakenly apply memory principles to visual design when they should be focusing on attention
- The difference between designing for memory and designing for attention
Whether you're designing a pitch, a product tour, or just organizing content, understanding the serial position effect helps you make your message stick where it matters most.
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