Sapien is a research, data and behavioural science agency interested in uncovering the truth about human behaviour. A curious team of insight and data experts on a mission to understand people the way they are, why people will zig when they say they will zag, or say one thing, then do another.

Sapien enables businesses to make effective decisions through a better understanding of human behaviour. They use data and insight to inform strategic marketing plans.

We were asked to create a communication tool to express a core philosophy of the business: in order to understand human decision-making, we needed to look into the subconscious.

This communication tool was one element of a wider brand development project for Sapien. Initially, only 10 books were to be produced with a total budget of only $1,500NZD – designed to provide a highly targeted communication to new business prospects.

In a world of information overload, a powerfully simple and visual solution was demanded. We designed a book that would become a physical embodiment of the human mind.

At the heart of the concept lies a scientific truth; humans absorb millions of sensory inputs every moment. Yet for every million bits of information, we can only consciously process up to six. The pages within the book contain precisely one million dots. They represent this overwhelming amount of sensory data that lies within the subconscious. This is contrasted with the six dots that we are aware of, simply depicted on the cover.

To open The Million Bit Book is to peer inside the organic patterns of the mind – an insight into the incomprehensible relationship between the conscious and subconscious. The book conveys a powerful message about the invisible drivers behind behaviour & choice.

One million dots provide a wonderous illustration of the subconscious. Five designers each visualised 200,000 bits of information in ‘dots’, all verified using Adobe Illustrator’s document info – 'object path' count.

The Million Bit Book was produced in a limited print run of ten physical books digitally printed on black cartridge stock and hand-bound in hard cover at a cost of $250NZD per unit.

Included with the book is a magenta bookmark. Six die cut holes correspond with the cover design and represent the six bits per million of sensory inputs that the human mind can actually process. Those six holes act as a symbolic filter, held over any of the pages, with their myriad of data points, the apertures highlight the contrast between what we know and the hidden depths of the subconscious beneath.

Whilst the task of creating The Million Bit Book was ambitious, the outcome was nothing short of breath-taking. The communication made a strong announcement of Sapien’s arrival to the market. It provoked thought, sparked conversation, and led to live business prospects.

A mass distribution and reach wasn’t required, instead, specific key contacts were targeted. Individual copies were hand delivered to selected marketing leaders, business influencers and client prospects.

This powerful communication tool played a vital role in successfully launching Sapien and helped the business secure high value clients in its first year of operation. The result has seen Sapien gain vital momentum with ground-breaking research projects, many of which began from this powerful, initial point of contact.