August 2010 Lawlor Focus

The Role of Emotion in the College Decision

By almost everyone’s measure, a successful college search culminates in one outcome: finding the right fit. When students say the college they decided to attend “just felt right,” they’re acknowledging what we’ve known since Aristotle’s time—that persuasion requires appealing not just by logos, but also by ethos and pathos.

During this decade, Northwestern University professor Don Norman wrote Emotional Design, which argues that product design must also account for the fact that human decision making depends upon both conscious cognition and subconscious emotion. He posited that human reaction to design exists on three emotional levels: visceral (the product’s appearance), behavioral (the product’s utility) and reflective (how the product relates to the user’s self-image).

Taking Norman’s ideas one step further, Ronald Rogowski, an analyst at Forrester Research, produced a report last year called “Emotional Experience Design,” which applies the same concept to website design. Forrester defines emotional experience design as “creating interactions that engage users by catering to their emotional needs.” Rogowski argues that in order to turn casual website visitors into engaged customers, the website must be designed to address customers’ real goals, to develop a coherent personality and to engage a mix of senses.

The concept of emotional experience design could very well apply to campus visits, as well. The Lawlor Group’s proprietary research has consistently found that prospective students make their final decision of which college to attend largely based on either the financial aid offer or the campus visit experience. Designing campus tours with intentional and personalized emotional appeals that follow Forrester’s three emotional experience guidelines can go a long way in providing students with the subconscious cues they need to find the right fit.

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Whether a prospective student, family member, counselor or other important gatekeeper is conducting a stealth visit to your institutional website or making an in-person campus visit, think through the experience your visitors will have from start to finish. Identify where and how you might enhance each touchpoint’s appeal by applying the three principles of emotional design:

• Addressing consumers’ real goals (behavioral appeal)—Is it easy to schedule and confirm visit arrangements online? Do the driving directions to campus include the admission office’s GPS coordinates as well as both visual and narrative details? Do you offer transportation solutions for prospective students who lack transportation? Does the campus tour utilize location-based social media, mobile augmented reality features, etc.?

• Developing a coherent personality (reflective appeal)—Are the same stories told whether a visitor hears from a tour guide, a video at the self-guided tour information kiosk, or a multimedia presentation during a virtual tour? Are the stories about people your visitors can relate to and activities they can imagine themselves doing?

• Engaging a mix of the senses (visceral appeal)—Does the route to campus you’ve recommended take into account not only what people will see, but also hear and smell? Will your visitors have something to experience (touch, look at, taste, etc.) while they wait, should they arrive early? Are your tour guides capable of customizing the visit experience on the fly according to guests’ interests?

Atmospherics matter not only because the “look and feel” of your campus authentically reflects your institution’s values, but also because emotional responses drive word-of-mouth recommendations. Therefore, be as intentional as possible in designing spaces and experiences for campus visitors that positively reinforce your institutional personality and help students find their fit.

In the news

The type of software that will be required to boost the open education movement (as discussed in recent issues of The Lawlor Review by Anya Kamenetz and Thomas Frey) into wide adoption is being perfected. Nixty is a new website that streamlines online course construction, and CourseRank is a scheduling, planning and course review system that helps students select their classes. Both are focused on using technology to make college more affordable.

Did you know?

This year, Americans’ top priority shifted from saving for their child’s college to saving for their own retirement.

Source: COUNTRY Financial