Providing an oasis of calm for busy minds
What does your typical workday feel like? Hectic, manic, and not enough seconds in the day to get everything done? If you're nodding along, you're not alone - this is how most of us feel every single day. What impact does this state of mind have on how we consume content during office hours?
Research by Donald W. MacKinnon and popularised by John Cleese (of all people) says that our minds work in either an Open or Closed mode.
The Closed Mode is characterized by complexity, stress, pressure, and deadlines. This is how most of us feel at work, and MacKinnon's research showed that when in this mode, it is almost impossible for our mind to move beyond our immediate demands to consider new ideas or be receptive to new messages, thoughts or proposals.
In contrast, the Open Mode is accessed when we're more relaxed and feel free from pressure, distractions, demands, and complexity. We're completely engrossed and focused on what we're doing and are unperturbed by anything external.
Like an oasis of calm in our otherwise hectic lives, our mind is at ease and in
balance with the task at hand. It is in the Open Mode that we are open to new information, new possibilities and new messages.
For content creators, the Open Mode is the holy grail. When readers are in this mode, our messages will be properly considered and evaluated with a curious, receptive approach, rather than consumed and discarded hastily as we move on to tick off the next item in our to-do list.
Conventional document formats such as PDF and scrolling web pages do little or nothing to create this “oasis of calm” that our content deserves - but there are other options available. Interactive, highly visual content experiences, like the one you’re reading right now, are increasingly used by big brands such as Cisco, The Economist, and Allianz to deliver their most important messages in a far more impactful and memorable way.
