The Memory Game: What Science Tells Us About Making Information Stick

Picture this. You’re sitting across a potential client you met at a networking event last month. You remember the emotional conversation about their business challenges. But as they ask, ‘So what were your thoughts about the pricing structure we discussed?’ your mind goes completely blank. 

Did they show you their website? Or a snapshot of their sales analytics? You remember the connection you felt, the general topic of your conversation, but the specific details? Gone. 

As business owners and freelancers, we rely heavily on our ability to remember important details from many different aspects of our business, and from the briefest encounters – from client preferences to project specifications, from pricing agreements to process workflows. But science reveals that our memory (specifically visual memory) doesn’t always work the way we think.

This study from Rice University explores the relationship between memorable images, emotion, the passage of time, and our ability to remember details, especially on very similar-looking visual content. Read on to understand the science of visual memory and how we can create images and graphics for our clients, other stakeholders, and even ourselves that are easy to remember.

The Science Behind Memorable Images

Ever notice how some images just stick in your mind while others fade away almost instantly? It’s not just you. Research shows that certain types of images are consistently more memorable across different people, regardless of their personal preferences or backgrounds. 

What makes an image memorable? Scientists have identified several key characteristics:

• Images with people in them tend to be more memorable than landscapes or objects alone. 

• Clear, uncluttered compositions stick better than busy, complex ones. Your brain can process and store simpler visual information more efficiently.

• Colorful images typically outperform monochrome ones in memory tests. That vibrant photo you took on vacation is more likely to stick than the grayscale business chart.

• Unusual or unexpected content grabs attention and lodges in memory. A dog riding a skateboard is more memorable than a dog walking on a leash.

• Emotion-evoking images – whether they make you laugh, feel disgusted, or trigger fear – are particularly sticky in our minds.

Because of these characteristics that contribute to the intrinsic memorability of images, scientists are able to use artificial intelligence (trained on thousands of human responses, although mostly US-based) to predict and score image memorability. These AI tools analyze visual features like color, composition, and content to estimate how likely an image is to be remembered by humans.

Action Item: Experts on visual media have been using these principles for decades, but the applications aren’t just for advertising or social media posts. When creating your portfolio website, include photos of yourself working with clients rather than just work samples. For client presentations, use clear, uncluttered slides with meaningful imagery rather than text-heavy information dumps.

You can make this work for yourself as well. You can incorporate these visual characteristics for your notes, your goals, or important reminders that you want to commit to memory.

Click here for my study breakdown & how you can use this study in your business & life:

More Actionable Breakdowns

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Wishing you much productivity!

- Jenae :)