Unless you’re in “the business,” you probably don’t put much thought into why certain places are designed the way they are.
- Restaurant logos use a lot of red, orange, and yellow because those colors have an effect as appetite stimulants.
- The restrooms in Disney parks around the world are designed to make the flow of traffic go faster
- Modern-day hotel lobbies often have the restaurants/bars in the open (or at least nearby) to entice you to buy there, and to make it easier for staff, who sometimes work double duty.
- We’re admittedly still not sure what this hotel designer had in mind when (s)he made this decision?!?!?
- But sometimes building designs go way beyond the obvious and focus on the subconscious things that help us make decisions. Airports are a prime example. For example:
How Airport Design Influences Your Experience
Walkways in airports are specifically designed for passengers to spend as much money as possible. Walkways tend to turn to the left, because people tend to be right-handed and walking to the left is easier when you’re dragging luggage in your right hand. But your head will still look to the right, so stores and restaurants tend to be on the right side.
The Psychology Behind Airport Shopping
“The golden hour” is that magical time when you’ve gotten through security but still have time until your board your plane. Airports purposely place certain stores (read: the most expensive stores), at the beginning of your path between security and the gate because you’ve got time to spend—so why not go shopping, right?
That’s why Duty Free tends to be right there, as soon as you’ve exited security. And to add insult to injury, they make sure the most expensive items with the highest profit margins are what you see first.
Why Airports Love Natural Light
People like natural light – it calms them down. And when people are calmer, it puts them in more of a mood to buy things. That’s why airports like natural light, too. 😉
Airport Design: More Than Just Shopping
Fortunately, airport design is not JUST about getting you to buy more.
- They also make conscious decisions with their signage—where check-in, security, and the planes are (and how they sway people to naturally go in those directions)—and why Departures tends to be above Arrivals.
- They know that people enjoy using their cell phones to do things, so airports have embraced the technological advances (plus, if things are done automatically, they get to pay less people to do the work – this time saving money instead of you spending it).
- Airports have also changed their designs over the years so they can watch everyone – that makes the space safer.
- Certain areas of airports are carpeted (or not), and are made specific colors to help sway people subconsciously.
- Even the art chosen for the airport is selected with specific intentions, such as reflecting what the city is about or serving as a meeting point (read: You’re at Tampa? “Meet me under the giant flamingo!”
- Airports even choose how they queue people to help them feel less anxious about, well, being in a queue.
Want to Learn More?
This video goes into a lot more detail about all of these. Take a look:
I had no idea about a bunch of those; how about you?
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