Ready to design experiences for impact?
Reach outTURNING MOMENTS INTO MEMORIES
In a world saturated with URL, screens and digital content, it’s not enough for your brand just to show up for it to be truly remembered. The experiences that stick are the IRL ones designed to spark emotion, stimulate the senses and create lasting memories. That’s why designing with memory in mind is essential. From brand activations to exhibits and retail pop-ups, the most effective experiences are those curated to endure beyond the moment.
Our brains remember more fully when more than one sense is activated. A physical knowledge into the memory: Haptic (touch), echoic (sound), iconic (visual), olfactory (smell), and gustatory (taste) cues each create unique entry points into memory. When combined, they reinforce what we remember, helping to engrain the message in our minds. This is because multi-sensory experiences build redundancy into memory, meaning if one sensory trace fades, others remain to anchor the moment. Scent and taste, in particular, are directly tied to the part of the brain responsible for emotion and long-term memory. These cues capture attention and create lasting and powerful connections.
According to Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman, it’s not the experience itself that shapes behaviour, but how we remember it. His theory of the “experiencing self” versus the “remembering self” explains why peaks, endings and designing for emotional intensity matter. Kahneman says people don’t recall the full duration of an experience – they recall the peaks: the standout moments. For brand experiences, this means designing for recall via a peak moment: ensuring that moment aligns with how you want your brand to be perceived and remembered.
Storytelling is a proven shortcut to memory making. When we hear a story, our brains fire as if we’re living it ourselves – we lean in. Add to that our natural tendency to find ourselves in narratives – a phenomenon known as narrative bias – and it becomes clear: the more your audience can see themselves in an experience, the more they’ll retain and recall. Active involvement helps people assign personal meaning, which strengthens memory and builds emotional equity. Giving your audience a role to play – a moment of connection, helps drive valuable memory recall.
“It’s vital that brands don’t just design to be seen. Design to be felt. We are in the business of memory making and interaction builds memory,” says Adam Mortimer, Designteam Head of Experience Design, Strategy & Brand. “Audiences don’t want the homogenous or the ho-hum. Audiences want awe, involvement, authenticity, connection and belonging.”
Experiences that trigger memory are typically personal. When people feel something they’re more likely to remember it. That’s why experiences need to be designed with feeling, emotion and sensory cues that invite participation and spark connection. It’s not always about louder messages, epic visuals or bigger builds. It’s about making people feel seen, heard, involved and increasingly – a part of community.
Designing experiences with memory-making at the core is an act of care for your brand, your audience and for lasting competitive advantage. When you create experiences that engage, involve and move people, you shape how your brand is remembered long after the experience.
If you’d like to know more about the importance of designing for impact and connection, continue reading B&T’s piece from our conversation here: ( Designing For Impact )
