Hello my nerdy friends,
I’ve got a cool insight for you today.
Let’s get right into it.
The study:
Researchers tested how depth of field in product photos affects how big people think a product is and how that perception affects sales.
A shallow depth of field means the product is in focus and the background is blurry.
A deep depth of field means both are clear.
The team ran one eye-tracking study, three lab experiments, and one field study. In each, people viewed the same product in both versions and estimated its size (Meng, Kou, Duan, Jiang, & Lü, 2022).
🧪What they found:
In one of the field tests, a fruit platter with a blurry background got about 50% more orders.
This happened, because when the product photo had a blurry background (a shallow depth of field), people thought the product itself is larger.
This effect appeared across several product types, including juice, cookies, and backpacks.
Why?
A blurred background makes your eyes focus on the sharp, clear object in the center.
Your brain mistakes that ease of seeing with size.
It thinks: “I can see it clearly, so it must be bigger.”
This is called a misattribution effect.
By why did this affect sales?
In cases like with the fruit platter, a bigger size felt like they were getting better value for their money.
Caveat
This illusion happens mostly when people are not familiar with the product.
If you already know how big a bottle of Pepsi or an iPhone is, the blur won’t affect our perception.
💡Takeaway
If you’re selling a product where customers equate size with value: food, beverages, or gift sets, try blurring the background.
If you need to show the actual size, like jewelry, shoes, or furniture, use a clear, deep depth of field instead.
Go make something cool,
Ksenia, the chief nerd
P.S. Thank you to today’s awesome sponsor, Hubspot!
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