Utilize the beginning and the end

Value is often communicated through lists—product benefits, pricing options, features. However, not all positions in a list are created equal. The question is: Which position in an enumeration is best remembered? Are there systematic differences between the beginning, middle, and end—and what does the evidence tell us?

Studies

The U-Shaped Memory Curve

Bennet Murdock conducted a groundbreaking memory experiment in 1962 that transformed the foundations of memory research. He had 103 students listen to lists of 10-40 random words—precisely one word per second. Immediately afterward, they were asked to freely recall as many words as they could remember. The results were strikingly consistent: The first 3-4 words were recalled at 80%, the middle ones at only 20%, and the last 3-4 again at 65%. This characteristic U-shaped curve appeared across all list lengths. Remarkably, the position in memory mattered more than the content of the words themselves.

Initial characteristics shape everything

Solomon Asch demonstrated the power of first impressions in his famous 1946 personality experiment. He described a fictitious person to 400 college students using six identical adjectives—only in different order. Group A heard: "intelligent, industrious, impulsive, critical, stubborn, envious." Group B heard the same words in reverse. Although the information was identical, Group A rated the person as significantly more likeable and competent. Notably, the first traits colored the interpretation of all subsequent ones—even "envious" was interpreted more charitably when preceded by positive descriptors.

30 seconds erase the end

Murray Glanzer and Anita Cunitz conducted an elegant experiment in 1966 that revealed two distinct memory systems. They had students learn 15-word lists. Half were asked to recall the words immediately, while the other half had to count backwards from 100 for 30 seconds before recall. The results were dramatic: With immediate recall, 70% remembered the last words. After the counting distraction, only 20% did—the recency effect had completely disappeared. The primacy effect, however, remained stable at 65%. This demonstrates that the last words were held only in fragile working memory, while the first words were already firmly anchored in long-term memory.

Forming Impressions of Personality

Solomon Asch conducted a groundbreaking experiment at Swarthmore College in 1946. He presented students with two lists containing identical personality traits—only in different order. Group A read: "intelligent, industrious, impulsive, critical, stubborn, envious." Group B read the same words in reverse, beginning with the negative traits. Although both groups received exactly the same information, they formed completely different overall judgments. Group A, which encountered positive traits first, rated the person as fundamentally competent with minor weaknesses. Group B saw the same person as problematic with some redeeming qualities. The remarkable finding: The first two to three traits dominated the overall impression so strongly that subsequent information was interpreted through the lens of this initial frame.

Order Effects in Personality Impression

Edward Jones and George Goethals investigated sequence effects on performance evaluations at Duke University in 1972. They showed 120 students videos of a person solving 30 tasks with varying degrees of success. The actual success rate was exactly 50%, but the sequence differed between groups: one group watched 15 successes followed by 15 failures, while the other group saw the same person fail first, then succeed. The results were dramatic: the group that observed early successes rated the person's intelligence significantly higher and predicted better future performance. The group that witnessed early failures rated the same person as less competent—despite identical overall performance. The first impression established an anchor that colored the interpretation of all subsequent observations.

Ebbinghaus' Forgetting Curve and Position Effects

Hermann Ebbinghaus conducted the first systematic memory experiments in 1885—on himself. He memorized thousands of lists of nonsense syllables (such as "WID," "ZOF," "KAL") and tested his recall after varying time intervals. When learning lists of 7–36 syllables, a clear pattern emerged: items in the first and last positions were remembered significantly better than those in the middle. For lists of 13 syllables, he recalled the first three with 80% accuracy, the middle ones with only 40%, and the last three again with 75%. The remarkable finding: the curve was U-shaped—the beginning and end were retained, while the middle was lost. Ebbinghaus's self-experiments thus laid the foundation for research into primacy and recency effects.

Murdock's serial position effect in free recall

Bennet Murdock conducted an elegant experiment at the University of Toronto in 1962. He had 103 students listen to lists of 10, 15, 20, 30, or 40 words, with each word presented for two seconds. Immediately afterward, they were asked to write down as many words as possible in any order. The results formed a perfect U-curve: for 20-word lists, the last 3 positions were recalled at 95-100%, the middle positions at only 20-30%, and the first positions at 60-70%. The crucial finding was that the recency effect was stronger than the primacy effect. The last 5 words of a 40-word list were recalled better than the first 5. Murdock thus demonstrated that with immediate recall, the end dominates.

Principle

Which principle for Customer Experience Design can be derived from this? The serial position effect demonstrates that the beginning and end of a customer journey disproportionately shape overall evaluation and are therefore critical to customer satisfaction. While the first contact sets the expectation framework and influences all subsequent experiences, the final experience largely determines what feeling customers leave with and whether they will return. This effect is particularly powerful in longer interactions or more complex services, where the middle phases carry less weight in memory despite their duration. Companies should therefore strategically concentrate their limited resources on these critical points rather than distributing them evenly across all touchpoints. The following guidelines show how to implement this principle in practice.

Guidelines

Staging the final experience

The final impression shapes how customers feel as they depart. Avoid bureaucratic conclusions such as forms or waiting periods. Instead, craft an intentionally designed ending: a gesture of gratitude, an unexpected delight, or a memorable ritual. The following examples illustrate this guideline:

• Disney: The fireworks at the end of a Disney park visit are no coincidence—they're peak-end design in action. Regardless of how long the lines were, the evening concludes with an emotional climax that shapes the entire memory.
• Ritz-Carlton: At checkout, guests receive a handwritten card with a personalized message. This final touchpoint is warm and individual—emphasizing the relationship rather than the transaction amount.

Designing the Middle Efficiently

Systematically identify and eliminate all pain points throughout the customer journey, particularly during the poorly remembered middle phase of the experience. Prioritize frustration avoidance over delight optimization—avoid wasting resources on memorable "wow" moments that customers will likely forget anyway. The following examples illustrate this guideline:

• IKEA: The lengthy trek through the warehouse represents the 'middle'—functional but unglamorous. Yet at the end awaits the restaurant with its meatballs and affordable hot dogs. IKEA invests in the beginning (showrooms) and the end (inexpensive food), not in the middle.
• Fluggesellschaften: Smart airlines invest in boarding (the first impression of the aircraft) and arrival (fast baggage claim). The actual flight—the middle portion—has less influence on overall customer satisfaction than these transition points.

Personal approach with new customers

The first contact determines everything that follows—invest disproportionately in those initial seconds, whether on your website, in emails, or in conversation. Greet new customers personally rather than automatically, because this is when they form their critical hypothesis about you, which confirmation bias will then work to validate. The following examples illustrate this guideline:

• Wistia: Personalized video messages in the sales process: 36.9% higher close rate with video vs. without. The effort invested in individual outreach pays off measurably.
• Bonjoro: Tool specifically for personalized video welcome messages. Companies like ConvertKit send each new customer an individual video – the open rate is over 80%.

Design a Strong Opening

Invest disproportionately in first impressions. The homepage, the opening sentence of an email, the greeting in a store—these moments frame every interaction that follows. Deploy your strongest arguments, clearest language, and best design at the beginning. A mediocre start with a strong finish is always weaker than a strong start with a mediocre finish.

Strategically plan information sequence

For product presentations, argument chains, or feature lists: Lead with your most compelling points. Don't organize chronologically or by internal logic—organize by persuasive power. The primacy effect means what comes first shapes how people interpret everything that follows. Weak arguments at the beginning undermine even strong arguments at the end.

Using onboarding as a cognitive framework

The initial steps following a purchase or registration establish expectations for the entire customer journey. Use onboarding to intentionally create a positive framework: demonstrate quick wins, communicate core values, and establish quality standards. Subsequent experiences will be interpreted through the lens of this initial framework.

Strategically placing mandatory information

Strategically position mandatory information Legal disclosures, limitations, and fine print must all be communicated—but not first. Establish value, competence, and trust before addressing constraints. Within the context of an already positive first impression, limitations are perceived as acceptable details rather than deal-breakers. Conversely, presenting negative information early casts a negative shadow over everything that follows.

Place call-to-action at the end

In presentations, sales conversations, and landing pages, position your central call-to-action at the end. The finale shapes memory most powerfully. Place less critical details in the middle, where they're more likely to be forgotten. Your final piece of information should be something the customer can act on immediately.

Close customer conversations with concrete next steps

End every customer conversation with a clear summary of next steps. What is discussed last sticks in memory. Avoid making small talk after reaching agreement—this dilutes recall. The final 60 seconds determine what the customer takes away.

Complete onboarding with a sense of achievement

The final step of an onboarding process should create a positive sense of achievement—not present a form or terms and conditions. Show users what they've accomplished, celebrate their completion, and provide a concrete next step. The finale shapes the memory of the entire experience.

Close support interactions positively

End every support interaction with a clear solution or concrete next step. The final impression overrides negative experiences along the way. Even if 90% of the interaction was frustrating, a positive conclusion can salvage the overall rating.