When to Take a Break
The placement of a break can change whether people pause, continue, or remain engaged. Intermissions and chapter endings illustrate how timing forms part of an experience’s design.
THE IDEA
When to Take a Break
One tool in the choice architect’s arsenal can be easy to neglect: when to schedule an intermission. In theatrical plays, operas, and concerts there is usually at least one break in the performance that allows both the performers and the audience a chance to stretch their legs, use the toilets, get a snack, and, at least for audience, an opportunity to realize that there are more comfortable places to nap. Good choice architects realize that the timing of the break can be an important part of the design. Some plays are designed to be performed in one sitting because there is simply no place in performance where an intermission can be added without ruining the experience.
The authors of books have similar decisions to make. How long should the chapters be? Action-packed thrillers tend to have short chapters, but our favorite writers somehow manage to end each of those chapters with us dying to find out what happens next. Many a long night has been created that way, with us sleepily thinking, Oh, just one more chapter. A break creates an opportunity to stop; the material immediately before it can also encourage people to continue. Consider both effects when deciding where to place one.
When to use it
Designing a user interface with periodic reminders or breaks to prevent fatigue.
Scheduling breaks in a long meeting to allow participants to refocus.
Structuring a course or training session with intermissions to enhance learning retention.
Writing a report or presentation with clear section breaks to guide the audience.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Theater Intermission
In theatrical plays, operas, and concerts, an intermission allows performers and audience a break. Good choice architects schedule the break at an appropriate time to avoid ruining the experience.
Book Chapter Breaks
Authors choose chapter lengths and endings. A short thriller chapter ending with a cliffhanger can encourage the reader to continue even though the boundary offers a natural stopping point.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
Think of a recent decision you made. How might the timing of a break have influenced your choice?
In a project you are working on, where could inserting a strategic break improve outcomes?
How do short chapters in a book exploit the reader's desire to continue? Can this be applied to other contexts?
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Nudge The Final Edition (Richard H. Thaler Cass R. Sunstein)