Test the isolation effect
You'll see a list of words briefly. Try to remember as many as you can.
After each list, type all the words you remember.
What you're experiencing
The Von Restorff Effect (also called the isolation effect) was identified by German psychiatrist Hedwig von Restorff in 1933. It predicts that when multiple similar items are present, the one that differs will be better remembered.
Your brain is wired to notice contrast. Items that stand out get more attention, deeper processing, and stronger memory encoding.
UX implications:
- Make important actions visually distinct (different color, size, or style)
- Use contrast to highlight key information or CTAs
- Be intentional about what you emphasize. Everything highlighted means nothing is
- Error messages and warnings should look different from normal UI
Example: A single orange "Buy Now" button among gray navigation links will be remembered and noticed more.