Our eyes are constantly scanning our environment, taking in visual information that allows us to navigate and make sense of the world around us. But what exactly are our eyes drawn to? What visual elements catch and hold our attention? Understanding what attracts our eyes can provide insight into human perception, psychology, design, art and more.
Bright Colors
One of the most basic visual elements that grab our attention is bright, vivid colors. Our eyes are naturally drawn to objects that stand out from their surroundings due to their hue and saturation. Warm colors like red, orange and yellow are particularly attention-grabbing since they contrast sharply with cooler and darker colors in nature. Studies show that people are able to locate bright colored objects among neutral ones more quickly. Bright colors activate arousal pathways in the brain, making them difficult to ignore.
This is why bright colors are often used in marketing, signage, product packaging and web design. A bright red button on a website will attract more clicks than a muted gray one. Safety signs and hazard warnings use bright colors like yellow and orange to grab attention. Brands like Coca-Cola use their distinctive red branding to stand out. Bright colors are a simple yet powerful way to make something visually pop.
Faces
Human faces are another visual element our eyes are adept at seeking out. Faces contain important social information, so we have evolved to be able to rapidly detect and focus on them. Studies using eye tracking technology show that when viewing a scene, people tend to look first at human faces before other elements. The features of the face itself also draw attention, with our eyes focusing on the eyes, nose and mouth in particular.
We are especially attuned to spotting human faces in photographs, drawings and videos. Even when faces are stylized or obscured in some way, our brain instinctively picks them out. Faces are such a dominant visual cue that we sometimes see faces in inanimate objects, a phenomenon called pareidolia. Using faces, even schematic ones, is an effective way to attract visual attention, hence the ubiquitous “smiley face”.
Motion
Our eyes are wired to be sensitive to motion and changes happening around us. Moving objects catch our attention as they stimulate our visual system in a way static objects cannot. Sudden motion is particularly effective at grabbing focus. When something moves quickly in our peripheral vision, our eyes reflexively turn towards it to track the movement and assess if it’s relevant or threatening.
Designers leverage our instinctive response to motion by using animations, videos, scrolling text and other dynamic elements to draw attention. A moving graphic on a webpage will get looked at before static content. Roads and walkways curve to naturally direct our gaze in the direction of movement. Flashing lights and signs featuring motion graphics attract glances from passersby. Motion activates our visual system and orients our sight towards whatever is happening.
High Contrast
Elements with high contrast – stark differences in color, brightness or size – naturally attract our gaze. The human visual system perceives contrast immediately and uses it to organize the visual world into meaningful patterns. Areas of dark and light, muted and saturated colors, thin and thick lines all pop out due to their distinct edges and boundaries.
Simple black text on a white background offers the highest contrast and legibility. Road signs and hazards use contrast to stand out – think red stop signs against green trees. Designers employ contrast to make certain UI elements prominent, like dark headlines over a light background. Photos often play with bold shadows and highlights. Contrast makes certain visual components instantly distinctive.
Patterns and Symmetry
The human brain is exceptionally adept at recognizing patterns and appreciates symmetry. Regular repeating patterns, especially organic ones, draw attention as we instinctively try to understand and make sense of them. Symmetry stands out as we actively search for regularity. Simple geometric patterns like lines, grids and concentric circles tap into our visual preference for order and organization.
Complex patterns that feature slight irregularities but maintain an overall cohesion are particularly mesmerizing to our visual system. Examples include flower arrangements, spider webs, tree branches and nautilus shells. Graphic patterns are heavily utilized in design and architecture for their harmony and visual magnetism. Patterns engage our visual processing on a deep, innate level.
Familiarity
We are more likely to notice visual elements that are familiar to us in some way. This includes common everyday objects, places we recognize, faces of people we know, our own possessions and more. Familiar things require less effort for our brain to process, so they are prioritized by our visual system.
Designers tap into this preference by using relatable elements like social media icons, popular memes or culturally significant symbols to grab attention. Featuring people of diverse ages, ethnicities and backgrounds makes content more eye-catching for broader audiences. The halo effect also demonstrates our bias towards things we find beautiful or likeable. Familiarity breeds visual engagement.
Text
Words, letters and numbers are potent visual magnets, especially for those who are literate. Written text stands out distinctly from most other visuals due to its symbolic nature and association with meaning. We instinctively fix our gaze on text to interpret its semantic significance. Headlines, signs, device screens and handwritten notes draw our eyes, inviting us to read.
Text is directional as well, with countries that read left-to-right prioritizing the upper left visual field. Consciously placed text can be used to direct the viewer’s gaze and lead them through an image or design. Methods like larger/bold fonts, all caps and italicization help make text more eye-catching. For readers, text trumps most other visuals.
Focal Points
Certain compositional elements act as visual focal points that naturally attract our gaze. Faces and text already draw attention as discussed above. Other methods include using central positioning, isolating foreground elements, linear directional cues, selective focus/blurring and strategic color placement to direct eyes to key areas. This guides viewers to look at the most important or informative parts of an image first.
The Rule of Thirds is a classic technique where compositional focal points are placed near the intersections of horizontal and vertical thirds. Photographers use shallow depth of field to make subjects pop. Painters create focal points through contrast and directional brush strokes. Strategically arranging visual elements guides sight towards key areas of interest.
Conclusion
Our eyes are continually drawn to visuals that are bright, high contrast, moving, patterned and familiar. Human faces in particular attract our gazes due to their social relevance. While sight is instinctively attracted to certain qualities, it can also be directed through careful compositional techniques. Understanding what naturally catches our eyes and why is important for fields like design, art, photography, cinematography, psychology and more.
Leveraging what we find visually engaging creates more effective, intuitive designs and impactful images. But it’s also important to think critically about how certain visuals exploit reflexive eye movements. Bright colors and flashing banners serve a purpose online, but can become overstimulating. Balancing design principles with meaning creates the best visual communication.