There are different types of fluency, and two are particularly important.
- Perceptual fluency is the ease with which we process physical aspects of a message, like colour, font and layout.
- Conceptual fluency is the ease with which we ‘get’ the message’s meaning.
When the two are not aligned, the message seems off, but we struggle to pinpoint why.
Here’s an example.
This ad is promoting small interest rates, yet the large font that swallows most of the page sends the opposing message.
The message is easy to process perceptually, but conceptually mismatched.
A better way of promoting small interest rates? Not only use a small typeface, but use a scale to signify this.
In my experience, I see a lot of effort go into conceptual fluency, while perceptual fluency is taken for granted or shunted off to a poorly briefed designer.
Think of it this way.
Substance can be undermined by form.
And form is pointless without substance.
When perceptual and conceptual fluency are in sync, your message becomes clear, compelling, and memorable.
If they’re not, it quickly feels confusing and easy to overlook.
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